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 Barcelona already qualified for the group stage of the Champions League. This implies that the champion of the 13th country on the ranking list (FC Basel, Switzerland) has direct access to the group stage, the champion of the 16th country on the ranking list (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) 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 Linfield Belfast, Northern Ireland) have direct access to the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League.
| 1st Qualifying Round (4 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- F91 Dudelange Lux 1.524 FC Santa Coloma And 1.200 Valletta FC Mlt 1.483 Tre Fiori Sma 1.183 |
Unseeded teams in the 1st qualifying round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round. 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 groups of 5-6 teams.
| 2nd Qualifying Round (34 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- BATE Borisov Bls 23.216 Dacia Chisinau Mol 2.549 Maccabi Haifa Isr 21.400 Pyunik Yerevan Arm 2.516 Dinamo Zagreb Cro 20.224 FK Borac Banja Luka Bos 2.324 Rosenborg BK Nor 19.375 Mogren Budva Mon 2.275 Partizan Belgrade Srb 15.850 Skonto Riga Lat 2.233 APOEL Nicosia Cyp 13.124 FC Fehérvár Hun 2.200 Wisla Kraków Pol 10.183 Bangor City Wal 2.058 Sturm Graz Aut 8.640 HB Torshavn Far 1.783 Litex Lovech Bul 8.575 Linfield Belfast Nir 1.699 Slovan Bratislava Svk 5.899 Tobol Kustanai Kaz 1.624 Viktoria Plzen Cze 5.170 F91 Dudelange * Lux 1.524 NK Maribor Slo 4.224 Flora Tallinn Est 1.508 HJK Helsinki Fin 3.793 Breidablik Isl 1.491 Ekranas Panevezys Lit 3.541 Valletta FC * Mlt 1.483 FC Zestafoni Geo 2.891 Neftchi Baku Azb 1.233 Malmö FF Swe 2.825 Shkendija Tetovo Mac 1.041 Shamrock Rovers Irl 2.741 Skënderbeu Korçë Alb 0.774 |
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 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 qualifying round for Champions the 20 teams were divided into 2 groups of 10 teams.
| 3rd Qualifying Round for Champions (20 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Glasgow Rangers Sco 56.028 Litex Lovech ** Bul 8.575 FC København Den 51.110 Racing Genk Bel 8.400 BATE Borisov ** Bls 23.216 Slovan Bratislava ** Svk 5.899 Maccabi Haifa ** Isr 21.400 Viktoria Plzen ** Cze 5.170 Dinamo Zagreb ** Cro 20.224 NK Maribor ** Slo 4.224 Rosenborg BK ** Nor 19.375 HJK Helsinki ** Fin 3.793 Partizan Belgrade ** Srb 15.850 Ekranas Panevezys ** Lit 3.541 APOEL Nicosia ** Cyp 13.124 FC Zestafoni ** Geo 2.891 Wisla Kraków ** Pol 10.183 Malmö FF ** Swe 2.825 Sturm Graz ** Aut 8.640 Shamrock Rovers ** Irl 2.741 |
| 3rd Qualifying Round for Non-Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Benfica Por 81.319 Rubin Kazan Rus 31.941 Dinamo Kiev Ukr 60.776 FC Zürich Sui 18.980 Panathinaikos Gre 57.833 OB Odense Den 18.610 FC Twente Enschede Ned 41.025 Trabzonspor Tur 12.010 Standard Liège Bel 32.400 FC Vaslui Rom 10.164 |
| 4th Qualifying Round for Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- FC København *3 Den 51.110 Wisla Kraków ** Pol 10.183 BATE Borisov ** Bls 23.216 Sturm Graz ** Aut 8.640 Maccabi Haifa ** Isr 21.400 Racing Genk *3 Bel 8.400 Dinamo Zagreb ** Cro 20.224 Viktoria Plzen ** Cze 5.170 APOEL Nicosia ** Cyp 13.124 Malmö FF ** Swe 2.825 |
| 4th Qualifying Round for Non-Champions (10 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Bayern München Ger 118.887 FC Twente Enschede *3 Ned 41.025 Arsenal Eng 108.157 Rubin Kazan *3 Rus 31.941 Olympique Lyon Fra 92.735 Udinese Ita 27.110 Benfica *3 Por 81.319 FC Zürich *3 Sui 18.980 Villarreal Esp 75.465 OB Odense *3 Den 18.610 |
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. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Manchester United Eng 151.157 AC Milan Ita 94.110 FC Barcelona Esp 141.465 Olympique Lyon *4 Fra 92.735 Chelsea Eng 129.157 Shakhtar Donetsk Ukr 87.776 Bayern München *4 Ger 118.887 Valencia Esp 85.465 Arsenal *4 Eng 108.157 Benfica *3 Por 81.319 Real Madrid Esp 103.465 Villarreal *4 Esp 75.465 FC Porto Por 100.319 CSKA Moscow Rus 73.941 Internazionale Ita 100.110 Olympique Marseille Fra 68.735 Pot 3 coef. Pot 4 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Zenit St. Petersburg Rus 60.441 Borussia Dortmund Ger 22.887 Ajax Ned 56.025 Napoli Ita 21.110 Bayer Leverkusen Ger 54.887 Dinamo Zagreb ** Cro 20.224 Olympiakos Piraeus Gre 50.833 APOEL Nicosia ** Cyp 13.124 Manchester City Eng 47.157 Trabzonspor Tur 12.010 Lille OSC Fra 40.735 Racing Genk *3 Bel 8.400 FC Basel Sui 39.980 Viktoria Plzen ** Cze 5.170 BATE Borisov ** Bls 23.216 Otelul Galati Rom 5.164 |
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 ------------------------ --- ------------------------ --- Bayern München *4 Ger Napoli Ita Internazionale Ita CSKA Moscow Rus Benfica *3 Por FC Basel Sui Real Madrid Esp Olympique Lyon *4 Fra Chelsea Eng Bayer Leverkusen Ger Arsenal *4 Eng Olympique Marseille Fra APOEL Nicosia ** Cyp Zenit St. Petersburg Rus FC Barcelona Esp AC Milan Ita |
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