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Europe’s big guns will have started the campaign in their respective leagues already, but now, it’s time to get down to business.
That’s right, the Champions League - Europe’s biggest club competition - is back and now all that awaits is the highly anticipated group stage draw.
A couple of familiar faces will be swirling and choosing the balls of fate, with Chelsea’s European heroes of 2012 in Branislav Ivanovic and Michael Essien taking to the stage, but when is the draw exactly?
The draw for this year's competition takes place on Thursday at 5pm BST in Istanbul, with defending champions Chelsea among the teams waiting to find out who they will face in their group.
Fellow Premier League sides Manchester City, who were last year's beaten finalists, Manchester United and Liverpool are all in the pot, too.
There are 26 teams that have qualified for the group stage automatically, with a further six sides progressing via the play-offs.
Spain have five qualifiers, four through their finish in La Liga plus Villarreal after winning the Europa League.
Plus three qualifiers from Wednesday night's final play-off matches.
The 32 teams will be split into four seeding pots for Thursday's draw.
Pot 1 will consist of the holders, Chelsea, Europa League winners, Villarreal, and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations who did not qualify via one of the 2020/21 continental titles.
Pots 2 to 4 will be determined by club coefficient rankings.
Featured Image Credit: PA Images
Topics: Champions League, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool