NEW CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PICTURE TAKES SHAPE

With the relevant league campaigns across Europe now at an end, the list of club names to take part in next season's Champions League competition is now known.

Tuesday's result in the San Marino league play-off completed the picture for the three qualifying rounds, the draw for the first two to be made on 27 June with the first kick-off in the 2008/9 Champions League campaign on July 15.

As Chelsea look to go one better than last season in Europe, our runners-up place in the Premier League ensures we are not involved until after the qualifying rounds but past years show these preliminary stages can throw up results that go against Uefa's ranking of teams.

However, if an assumption is made that all the seeded sides make it through the qualifying rounds then an outline of the Champions League group stage draw can be made.

From the highest-ranked eight clubs, Liverpool, Barcelona and Arsenal must all complete a qualification round to enter the group stage draw with a further 13 clubs from the next 24 needing to qualify.

Based on current Uefa ranking coefficients, the four theoretical pots for the draw can be listed and Chelsea, with the highest co-efficient of any team (calculated from the past five seasons) will be in Pot 1.

We therefore cannot be drawn in the same group as any other Pot 1 team, including Inter Milan and their very familiar new coach, José Mourinho, Barcelona, Real Madrid nor Lyon.

Awaiting as possible group opponents from Pot 2 are four teams Chelsea have faced in recent campaigns - Bayern Munich, Porto, Schalke and Werder Bremen - plus Spain and Italy's runners-up, Villarreal and Roma.

Pot 3 will provide another group opponent and is set to include Russian champions and Uefa Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg plus Scotland pair Rangers and Celtic as well as Juventus, coached by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.

Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe from last season's road to Moscow await as possible opposition from Pot 4. CFR Cluj are unfamiliar winners of the Romanian league.

Below is the make-up of the four pots based on this year's rankings. * denotes a side which must come through qualification rounds. If unseeded teams qualify then other teams may shift into a higher pot.

Pot 1

Chelsea

Liverpool*

Barcelona*

Manchester United

Arsenal*

Lyon

Inter Milan

Real Madrid

Pot 2

Bayern Munich

PSV Eindhoven

Villarreal

Roma

Porto

Werder Bremen

Sporting Lisbon

Schalke*

Pot 3

Juventus*

Rangers*

Marseille*

Zenit St. Petersburg

Steaua Bucharest*

Panathinaikos*

Bordeaux

Celtic

Pot 4

Basel*

Olympiacos*

Fenerbahçe*

Shakhtar Donetsk*

Anderlecht*

Fiorentina*

Spartak Moscow*

CFR Cluj

The draw for the group stage is on August 28 with the football commencing on September 16. Next season's Final will take place in Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

Early odds from bookmakers Paddy Power make Chelsea second favourites to win next season's Champions League at 7/1, behind Man United at 6/1 and ahead of Barcelona's 15/2, Real Madrid's 8/1 and Inter at 9/1

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomeP ... 91,00.html

Next year I'm hoping to make some European trips in the first half of the season, instead of leaving it to late.

Looking at pot 2 we may have a decent trip waiting there, would love a trip to the new Munich stadium, Eindhoven is an easy drive, but I'd love to try Lisbon in late summer, that'd be my choice.

Pot 3 is a bit of a 'hell' pot with Rangers, Celtic (no offence Glasgow) and some East European destinations, so either Marseille or Bordeaux would be cool.

Pot 4 has got to be Fiorentina for me, Florence would go down well with the Mrs.

So I'd settle for Lisbon, Bordeaux and Fiorentina.

A tough draw would be Porto, Juventus and Fenerbahce.

how great would it be to get bayern (major european club), juve (likewise, plus claudio), and viola (good side, plus mutu)?

edit to say- impossible- two italian clubs. switch juve for rangers then.

Edited June 23, 200818 yr by gullit4

where is galatasaray? galatasaray received tour

If I could pick us a group I would go for teams we haven't ever played before...............

Chelsea

PSV Eindhoven

Celtic

Fiorentina

Sounds like a few blinding away trips to choose from there!!!

If I could pick us a group I would go for teams we haven't ever played before...............

Chelsea

PSV Eindhoven

Celtic

Fiorentina

Sounds like a few blinding away trips to choose from there!!!

i hope we do get ce**ic and f**kin ruin the bar stewards

i hope we do get ce**ic and f**kin ruin the bar stewards

Gusty

Can I point you toward the guidelines - in particular number 1.0

http://www.theshedend.com/index.php?showtopic=4

Now and again fine but you are beginning to turn it into an every other post affair.

Gusty

Can I point you toward the guidelines - in particular number 1.0

http://www.theshedend.com/index.php?showtopic=4

Now and again fine but you are beginning to turn it into an every other post affair.

do appologise but i really hate them. i will however try and curb it a bit

do appologise but i really hate them. i will however try and curb it a bit

Cheers

This Champions league has Scolari Vs Jose written all over it, it's destiny.

Chelsea beating Inter Milan at the San Siro with the look of Zlatan's face in disbelief will make my CL season a good one. Would be nice to win it aswell.

I want to get Juventus to be honest, nice to see them at the bridge and would be nice to see Claudio back.

Always love watching Del Piero still go at it.

yeah, right there with you Sheva, I think we will get Inter at some point too. The Final?? that could very well be an option, but if we got there, and lost again, and lost to the manager that we let go....I'd be absolutely gutted

Top seeds

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/footba...e.html?ITO=1490

If we get Celtic i'll definately go pub that night ;)

The draw is today 5pm(UK time).

My guess for our group:

Chelsea

Werder Bremen

Bordeaux

Fiorentina

Should come on top of that group, or any group for that matter. Only Bayern Munich and Juventus are teams that can leave us second in the group..

Athletico Madrid from pot 4 could make for a difficult group

The draw is today 5pm(UK time).

My guess for our group:

Chelsea

Werder Bremen

Bordeaux

Fiorentina

Should come on top of that group, or any group for that matter. Only Bayern Munich and Juventus are teams that can leave us second in the group..

I would take that group,some really tasty away trips in that one!!

I dont want to play St Petersburg,unknown qauntity and a very tricky/dangerous game!!

Yeah Athletico are certainly the one to avoid from pot 4.

Hope L*verpool get a hellish draw, unsurprisingly...

I want to get Juve, i prefer it when we get difficult teams in the group makes it much more interesting.

Us

Juve

Marseille

Atletico Madrid

That would be great to watch. :D

I think we're going to get Juve, and then Inter at some point in the knockout phase (provided we get through of course).

I want to get Juve, i prefer it when we get difficult teams in the group makes it much more interesting.

Us

Juve

Marseille

Atletico Madrid

That would be great to watch. :D

That would really be the group of death!!

It certainly would be interesting and I would love to go to Marseille again!!

I might be wrong but I dont think Chelsea have EVER played Juventus (you old shed-enders help me out on this one)

We played a friendly against Ath Madrid a Highbury in the 'Makita cup' but that was ages ago!!!

Bayern, Zenit and Athletico would be the group I'd not want. Not against big matches but too many so early in the season can ultimatly harm the overall prospects for the season. For me a nice easy Sporting, Celtic and Aalborg would suffice.

So, the new CL season starts with the draw today. As one of the favourites you will probably not have that much to fear from the lower seeded teams. It is a pity that Liverpool qualified, with them in we (Bayern) dropped out of pot 1. Still, I hope for an exciting draw. After 1 year without CL football we are eager to be there again. Wouldn't mind a little revenge for our previous meetup :D

Sorry, I saw this thread only after I created another one, so I will just repeat what I wrote (you can delete the other if you want):

So, the new CL season starts with the draw today. As one of the favourites you will probably not have that much to fear from the lower seeded teams. It is a pity that Liverpool qualified, with them in we (Bayern) dropped out of pot 1. Still, I hope for an exciting draw. After 1 year without CL football we are eager to be there again. Wouldn't mind a little revenge for our previous meetup happy0034.gif

Good to see you back Reaver, and best of luck with the draw.

(I have a feeling we may meet you!)...

Just about to start (4-30pm) on skyports news.