Opponents of Bavaria, BVB & Co.
© Imago
The followers of the four Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund are looking forward to Monaco tonight – and not just them. Because in the prince’s tower there will be the draw for the leagueapse of the new Champions League season from 6:00 p.m. Attractive opponents for the four German clubs are already guaranteed.
How does the format of the 2025/2026 Champions League season work?
The season 2025/2026 is the second season with the new Champions League mode. There is another leagueapse with 36 teams. Each team plays eight games: four at home, four away. The best eight clubs qualify directly for the round of 16. The clubs in places 9 to 24 games in an intermediate round. The international season ends for the teams in ranks 25 to 36.
How are the Champions League stews formed?
There are four solder pots with nine teams each. Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain is set in the first pot, but would have ended up there anyway. Because for the division of the teams to the pots, the UEFA club coefficient, which is based on the success of the past five seasons. Therefore, Bayern and Dortmund are also set in pot. Leverkusen and Frankfurt are in pot two.
How is it drawn in the Champions League?
Starting with a lottery pot one, a ball is pulled before, as in the past year, automated software to draw the eight opponents to the club. The procedure is then repeated with all other teams.
Which opponents are possible for the German participants?
Like all other participants, the German starters each receive two opponents from the four pots – one game rises at home, one away. Although they are in a pot, the German champion from Munich can meet the English title holder FC Liverpool and the Spanish Champion FC Barcelona, for example. In the end, it almost doesn’t matter which lottery pot is. In the leagueapse, duels from clubs from the same country are excluded. In addition, each club may only have two opponents who belong to the same National Association.
How much money can be earned in the Champions League?
For the start in the league, each club receives a premium of 18.62 million euros. But that’s just the beginning. The clubs receive 2.1 million euros for every win in the leagueapse, and at least 700,000 euros for each draw. And then there is also money for the placement in the final table of the league. The team in first place receives the highest bonus, the bottom of the smallest sum. In addition, there are ranking bonuses for the top eight teams, each with 2 million euros and for the clubs in ranks 9 to 16, each with one million euros. The premiums will of course continue in the KO phase.
Where can you follow the Champions League draw?
The draw is transferred to different platforms. The ZDF offers a live stream in its media library. The UEFA also show the draw on its internet platform, DAZN and Sky.
What’s next after the draw?
The teams know their opponents after the draw – the game plans will only be announced later. The exact approaches should be determined on Saturday at the latest. The first game day of the premier class takes place from September 16 to 18. The league, which ends in January next year, follow the co-rounds-with the climax on May 30th: Then the final will increase in the Hungarian capital Budapest.