The 36 teams that are projected to feature in next season's Champions League campaign include a number of clubs who will play in the competition for the very first time.
As we all know, this season will be the final instalment of the original Champions League format.
From next season onwards, Europe’s elite competition will feature a single group of 36 teams that will replace the current format of eight groups of four, with each side playing eight matches during the new group stage.
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Following the group stage, all teams will be formatted into a table with the top eight sides automatically qualifying for the round of 16 while clubs finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a play-off round for the eight remaining places.
Once that process has commenced, ongoings in the Champions League will proceed as normal with a two-legged round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final before the eventual final.
It is the biggest change to the competition since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992 – and one of the key changes will be the increase in group stage matches, from six to eight.
So who is projected to feature in the competition as it stands? A total of 14 clubs have already secured their spot, including two teams from England's top flight – Manchester City and Arsenal.
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On Wednesday night, Germany mathematically secured an extra Champions League spot after Borussia Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain in their semi-final first leg.
That means the current Bundesliga top five [Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund] will play in next season's competition.
In fact, Germany will have six clubs in the Champions League if Dortmund go on and lift the trophy and finish fifth in the Bundesliga. Eintracht Frankfurt currently sit in that sixth place position.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are also in the hat alongside PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, meaning 22 spots are left to be confirmed.
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As it stands, here are the projected pots.
So how will the draw work for next season? Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol says it will involve a computer system instead of a purely manual draw for the first time in the competition's history.
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Solhekol reports that the clubs will initially be drawn manually, before a computer then selects the eight opponents.
The computerisation of the draw will cut down on the amount of time a manual draw would be take. Its expected 35-minute timeframe is the same as the current draw, despite there being more teams involved.
Featured Image Credit: Getty ImagesTopics: Champions League, Arsenal, Manchester City
