Seeding in the Champions League 2005/2006

UEFA European Cup Football
by Bert Kassies

The clubs defeated in the first and second qualifying rounds are eliminated from the competition. The 16 clubs defeated in the third qualifying round are entitled to play in the first round of the current UEFA Cup. For the qualifying rounds a draw between the same number of seeded and unseeded clubs determines the pairings.

1st Qualifying Round (24 teams)

Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Liverpool (TH) Eng 115.864 Rabotnicki Skopje Mac 1.485 FC Petrzalka Svk 4.850 Dinamo Minsk Bls 1.347 Anorthosis Famagusta Cyp 4.695 Sliema Wanderers Mlt 0.990 Nova Gorica Slo 4.190 Pyunik Yerevan Arm 0.990 Dinamo Tbilisi Geo 4.035 SK Tirana Alb 0.880 Haka Valkeakoski Fin 3.158 Levadia Tallinn Est 0.825 FH Hafnarfjardar Isl 2.595 Glentoran Nir 0.715 Shelbourne Irl 2.375 Llansantffraid Wal 0.605 Zrinjski Mostar Bos 2.365 F91 Dudelange Lux 0.550 Skonto Riga Lat 2.200 Neftchi Baku Azb 0.440 Sheriff Tiraspol Mol 2.090 HB Torshavn Far 0.330 FBK Kaunas Lit 1.760 Kairat Almaty Kaz 0.220

Unseeded teams in the 1st qualification round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round: SK Tirana replaced the seeded team Nova Gorica (4.190), Neftchi Baku replaced the seeded team FH Hafnarfjardar (2.595), F91 Dudelange replaced the seeded team Zrinjski Mostar (2.365), and Rabotnicki Skopje replaced the seeded team Skonto Riga (2.200). The reason for this is that the draw for the 2nd qualification round is made before the results of the 1st qualification round are known.

2nd Qualifying Round (28 teams)

Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Liverpool (TH) * Eng 115.864 Hajduk Split Cro 10.980 Celtic Sco 63.476 FC Thun Sui 6.887 Anderlecht Bel 47.476 Malmö FF Swe 5.076 Dinamo Kiev Ukr 40.200 FC Petrzalka * Svk 4.850 Lokomotiv Moscow Rus 38.469 Anorthosis Famagusta * Cyp 4.695 Partizan Belgrade Srb 30.012 SK Tirana * Alb 4.190 Maccabi Haifa Isr 21.218 Dinamo Tbilisi * Geo 4.035 Steaua Bucuresti Rom 20.101 Haka Valkeakoski * Fin 3.158 Brøndby IF Den 19.676 Neftchi Baku * Azb 2.595 Rapid Wien Aut 15.208 Shelbourne * Irl 2.375 CSKA Sofia Bul 15.118 F91 Dudelange * Lux 2.365 DVSC Debrecen Hun 14.390 Rabotnicki Skopje * Mac 2.200 Trabzonspor Tur 12.872 Sheriff Tiraspol * Mol 2.090 Vålerengen IF Nor 11.665 FBK Kaunas * Lit 1.760

Unseeded teams in the 2nd qualification round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round: FC Petrzalka replaced the seeded team Celtic (63.476), FC Thun replaced the seeded team Dinamo Kiev (40.200), Malmö FF replaced the seeded team Maccabi Haifa (21.218), and Anorthosis Famagusta replaced the seeded team Trabzonspor (12.872). The reason for this is that the draw for the 3rd qualification round is made before the results of the 2nd qualification round are known. In the 3rd qualifying round teams from the same country cannot play against each other (except Liverpool in 2005). See CL-QR3 2005 draw for details of the draw procedure.

3rd Qualifying Round (32 teams)

Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Liverpool (TH) * Eng 115.864 Slavia Praha Cze 35.223 Manchester United Eng 110.864 Real Betis Esp 34.326 Internazionale Ita 101.191 FC Basel Sui 33.887 Panathinaikos Gre 70.715 Wisla Kraków Pol 32.929 FC Petrzalka * Svk 63.476 Partizan Belgrade ** Srb 30.012 Villarreal Esp 58.326 Udinese Ita 30.191 Sporting CP Lisbon Por 55.739 Shakhtar Donetsk Ukr 28.200 AS Monaco Fra 53.324 Malmö FF ** Swe 21.218 Ajax Ned 52.145 Everton Eng 20.864 Club Brugge Bel 50.476 Steaua Bucuresti ** Rom 20.101 Anderlecht ** Bel 47.476 Brøndby IF ** Den 19.676 Glasgow Rangers Sco 40.476 Rapid Wien ** Aut 15.208 FC Thun ** Sui 40.200 CSKA Sofia ** Bul 15.118 Werder Bremen Ger 40.166 DVSC Debrecen ** Hun 14.390 Lokomotiv Moscow ** Rus 38.469 Anorthosis Famagusta * Cyp 12.872 Rosenborg BK Nor 36.665 Vålerengen IF ** Nor 11.665

Once the third qualifying round has been completed, the 32 remaining clubs are drawn into eight groups of four. Clubs from the same association will not be drawn into the same group (Liverpool excepted). A computer draw determines the final position of the teams within their group. These positions determine the order of the home and away matches. The following match sequence applies:

1st match day: 2 v 3              4th match day: 1 v 3
               4 v 1                             4 v 2

2nd match day: 1 v 2              5th match day: 3 v 2
               3 v 4                             1 v 4

3rd match day: 3 v 1              6th match day: 2 v 1
               2 v 4                             4 v 3

Group Stage (32 teams)

Pot 1 coef. Pot 2 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Liverpool (TH) * Eng 115.864 FC Porto Por 93.739 Real Madrid Esp 131.326 Juventus Ita 93.191 AC Milan Ita 121.191 PSV Eindhoven Ned 84.145 FC Barcelona Esp 117.326 Olympique Lyon Fra 81.324 Manchester United *** Eng 110.864 Panathinaikos *** Gre 70.715 Internazionale *** Ita 101.191 Chelsea Eng 68.864 Bayern München Ger 97.166 Villarreal *** Esp 58.326 Arsenal Eng 93.864 Ajax *** Ned 52.145 Pot 3 coef. Pot 4 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Club Brugge *** Bel 50.476 Benfica Por 36.739 Anderlecht ** Bel 47.476 Rosenborg BK *** Nor 36.665 Olympiakos Piraeus Gre 46.715 Real Betis *** Esp 34.326 Schalke '04 Ger 44.166 Udinese *** Ita 30.191 Sparta Praha Cze 43.223 Fenerbahçe Tur 23.872 Lille OSC Fra 41.324 Rapid Wien ** Aut 15.208 Glasgow Rangers *** Sco 40.476 FC Thun ** Sui 6.887 Werder Bremen *** Ger 40.166 FC Petrzalka * Svk 4.850

The eight group-winners and eight runners-up of the group stage qualify for the second round. The clubs that finish this stage in third position in their group move into the third round of the current UEFA Cup. The clubs that finish this stage in fourth position in their group are eliminated.

The draw for the 2nd round takes the following rules into account:
a) Clubs from the same association must not be drawn against each other,
b) The winners and runners-up of the same group must not be drawn against each other,
c) The group winners must not be drawn against each other,
d) The runners up must not be drawn against each other,
e) The runners up must play the first leg at home.
The group winners are seeded above the runners-up.

Round 2 (16 teams)
1st in CL group 2nd in CL group ------------------------ --- ------------------------ --- Juventus Ita Bayern München Ger Arsenal Eng Ajax *** Ned FC Barcelona Esp Werder Bremen *** Ger Villarreal *** Esp Benfica Por AC Milan Ita PSV Eindhoven Ned Olympique Lyon Fra Real Madrid Esp Liverpool (TH) * Eng Chelsea Eng Internazionale *** Ita Glasgow Rangers *** Sco

For the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals no clubs will be seeded.

KEY:
*   = team started in 1st qualification round
**  = team started in 2nd qualification round
*** = team started in 3rd qualification round

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