The clubs defeated in the 1st and 2nd qualifying rounds are eliminated from the competition. The 15 clubs defeated in the 3rd qualifying round are entitled to play in the 4th qualifying round of the Europa League, and the 10 clubs defeated in the 4th qualifying round are entitled to play in the group stage of the Europa League. The 3rd and 4th qualifying rounds are split into two sections: one for champions and one for non-champions.
The Champions League cup-holder spot will not be used because Internazionale already qualified for the group stage of the Champions League. This implies that the champion of the 13th country on the ranking list (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) has direct access to the group stage, the champion of the 16th country on the ranking list (FC København, Denmark) has direct access to the 3rd qualifying round, and the champions of the 48th and 49th countries on the ranking list (HB Torshavn, Faroe Islands and Jeunesse d'Esch, Luxembourg) have direct access to the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League.
| 1st Qualifying Round (4 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- FC Santa Coloma And 0.700 Birkirkara Mlt 0.433 Tre Fiori Sma 0.650 Rudar Pljevlja Mon 0.425 |
Unseeded teams in the 1st qualifying round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round: Birkirkara replaced the seeded team FC Santa Coloma (0.700), and Rudar Pljevlja replaced the seeded team Tre Fiori (0.650). The reason for this is that the draw for the 2nd qualifying round is made before the results of the 1st qualifying round are known.
For the draw of the 2nd round the 34 teams were divided into 3 regional groups of 10-12 teams.
| 2nd Qualifying Round (34 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Hapoel Tel-Aviv Isr 27.775 HJK Helsinki Fin 2.399 Sparta Praha Cze 27.395 Levadia Tallinn Est 2.374 Rosenborg BK Nor 23.980 Metalurgs Liepaja Lat 2.149 FC Salzburg Aut 19.915 FH Hafnarfjardar Isl 2.083 Litex Lovech Bul 15.900 Zeljeznicar Sarajevo Bos 1.749 Dinamo Zagreb Cro 14.466 Olimpi Rustavi Geo 1.649 Partizan Belgrade Srb 13.800 Pyunik Yerevan Arm 1.599 BATE Borisov Bls 13.308 NK Koper Slo 1.391 Lech Poznan Pol 11.008 Inter Baku Azb 1.349 MSK Zilina Svk 10.666 Renova Dzepciste Mac 1.316 Sheriff Tiraspol Mol 5.458 Dinamo Tirana Alb 1.049 DVSC Debrecen Hun 5.350 HB Torshavn Far 0.866 Omonia Nicosia Cyp 4.599 The New Saints Wal 0.766 AIK Stockholm Swe 3.838 Birkirkara * Mlt 0.700 Bohemians Dublin Irl 2.908 Rudar Pljevlja * Mon 0.650 Ekranas Panevezys Lit 2.683 Linfield Belfast Nir 0.574 FK Aktobe Kaz 2.399 Jeunesse d'Esch Lux 0.249 |
Unseeded teams in the 2nd qualifying round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round: The New Saints replaced the seeded team Bohemians Dublin (2.908), and HJK Helsinki replaced the seeded team Ekranas Panevezys (2.683). The reason for this is that the draw for the 3rd qualifying round is made before the results of the 2nd qualifying round are known.
For the draw of the 3rd round the 20 champions were divided into 2 groups of 10 teams.
| 3rd Qualifying Round for Champions (20 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- FC Basel Sui 48.675 BATE Borisov ** Bls 13.308 Anderlecht Bel 42.580 Lech Poznan ** Pol 11.008 FC København Den 34.470 MSK Zilina ** Svk 10.666 Hapoel Tel-Aviv ** Isr 27.775 Sheriff Tiraspol ** Mol 5.458 Sparta Praha ** Cze 27.395 DVSC Debrecen ** Hun 5.350 Rosenborg BK ** Nor 23.980 Omonia Nicosia ** Cyp 4.599 FC Salzburg ** Aut 19.915 AIK Stockholm ** Swe 3.838 Litex Lovech ** Bul 15.900 The New Saints ** Wal 2.908 Dinamo Zagreb ** Cro 14.466 HJK Helsinki ** Fin 2.683 Partizan Belgrade ** Srb 13.800 FK Aktobe ** Kaz 2.399 |
| 3rd Qualifying Round for Non-Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Zenit St. Petersburg Rus 61.258 Celtic Sco 38.158 Ajax Ned 55.309 Unirea Urziceni Rom 18.898 Fenerbahçe Tur 54.890 PAOK Thessaloniki Gre 11.479 Dinamo Kiev Ukr 42.910 Young Boys Sui 7.675 Sporting Braga Por 39.659 AA Gent Bel 6.580 |
| 4th Qualifying Round for Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- FC Basel *3 Sui 48.675 Rosenborg BK ** Nor 23.980 Anderlecht *3 Bel 42.580 FC Salzburg ** Aut 19.915 FC København *3 Den 34.470 Partizan Belgrade ** Srb 13.800 Hapoel Tel-Aviv ** Isr 27.775 MSK Zilina ** Svk 10.666 Sparta Praha ** Cze 27.395 Sheriff Tiraspol ** Mol 5.458 |
| 4th Qualifying Round for Non-Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Sevilla Esp 108.951 Dinamo Kiev *3 Ukr 42.910 Werder Bremen Ger 94.841 Sporting Braga *3 Por 39.659 Zenit St. Petersburg *3 Rus 61.258 Sampdoria Ita 30.867 Tottenham Hotspur Eng 56.371 AJ Auxerre Fra 19.748 Ajax *3 Ned 55.309 Young Boys *3 Sui 7.675 |
Once the 4th qualifying round (or play-off 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. 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
See 2006 draw procedure announced and
2008 group-stage draw
for more details of the group stage draw.
| Group Stage (32 teams) |
|---|
Pot 1 coef. Pot 2 coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Internazionale (TH) Ita 100.867 Werder Bremen *4 Ger 94.841 FC Barcelona Esp 136.951 Real Madrid Esp 84.951 Manchester United Eng 125.371 AS Roma Ita 83.867 Chelsea Eng 118.371 Shakhtar Donetsk Ukr 73.910 Arsenal Eng 115.371 Benfica Por 72.659 Bayern München Ger 110.841 Valencia Esp 66.951 AC Milan Ita 99.867 Olympique Marseille Fra 62.748 Olympique Lyon Fra 96.748 Panathinaikos Gre 56.979 Pot 3 coef. Pot 4 coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Tottenham Hotspur *4 Eng 56.371 Hapoel Tel-Aviv ** Isr 27.775 Glasgow Rangers Sco 56.158 FC Twente Enschede Ned 25.309 Ajax *3 Ned 55.309 Rubin Kazan Rus 21.758 Schalke 04 Ger 54.841 AJ Auxerre *4 Fra 19.748 FC Basel *3 Sui 48.675 CFR Cluj Rom 15.898 Sporting Braga *3 Por 39.659 Partizan Belgrade ** Srb 13.800 FC København *3 Den 34.470 MSK Zilina ** Svk 10.666 Spartak Moscow Rus 33.758 Bursaspor Tur 6.890 |
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 Europa League. 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.
See 2008 CL 2nd round draw procedure for more details.
| Round 2 (16 teams) |
|---|
1st in CL group 2nd in CL group ------------------------ --- ------------------------ --- Tottenham Hotspur Eng Internazionale Ita Schalke 04 Ger Olympique Lyon Fra Manchester United Eng Valencia Esp FC Barcelona Esp FC København Den Bayern München Ger AS Roma Ita Chelsea Eng Olympique Marseille Fra Real Madrid Esp AC Milan Ita Shakhtar Donetsk Ukr Arsenal Eng |
For the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals no clubs will be seeded.
KEY: * = team started in 1st qualifying round ** = team started in 2nd qualifying round *3 = team started in 3rd qualifying round *4 = team started in 4th qualifying round