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The [[2021 UEFA Champions League Final|final]] will be played at the [[Atatürk Olympic Stadium]] in [[Istanbul]], Turkey. The stadium was originally appointed to host the [[2020 UEFA Champions League Final]], but this was moved due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020.<ref name="Exco17June">{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/newsid=2642232.html |title=UEFA competitions to resume in August |website=UEFA.com|publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=17 June 2020 |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the [[2021–22 UEFA Champions League]] group stage and also earn the right to play against the winners of the [[2020–21 UEFA Europa League]] in the [[2021 UEFA Super Cup]].
The [[2021 UEFA Champions League Final|final]] will be played at the [[Atatürk Olympic Stadium]] in [[Istanbul]], Turkey. The stadium was originally appointed to host the [[2020 UEFA Champions League Final]], but this was moved due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020.<ref name="Exco17June">{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/newsid=2642232.html |title=UEFA competitions to resume in August |website=UEFA.com|publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=17 June 2020 |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the [[2021–22 UEFA Champions League]] group stage and also earn the right to play against the winners of the [[2020–21 UEFA Europa League]] in the [[2021 UEFA Super Cup]].

[[File:UEFA Champions League logo.png|alt=UEFA Champions League 2020|thumb|UEFA Champions League 2020]]
'''2020 UEFA Champions League Final Bayern vs Paris [https://alltimesport.com/PSG-vs-Bayern/ Live Stream Link]'''


==Association team allocation==
==Association team allocation==

Revision as of 20:01, 23 August 2020

2020–21 UEFA Champions League
The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul will host the final
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
8 August 2020 – 30 September 2020
Competition proper:
20 October 2020 – 29 May 2021
TeamsCompetition proper: 32
Total: 79 (from 54 associations)

The 2020–21 UEFA Champions League is the 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 29th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.

The final will be played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The stadium was originally appointed to host the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final, but this was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[1] The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup.

UEFA Champions League 2020
UEFA Champions League 2020

2020 UEFA Champions League Final Bayern vs Paris Live Stream Link

Association team allocation

A total of 79 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participate in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League (the exception being Liechtenstein, which does not organise a domestic league). The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[2]

  • Associations 1–4 each have four teams qualify.
  • Associations 5–6 each have three teams qualify.
  • Associations 7–15 each have two teams qualify.
  • Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein) each have one team qualify.
  • The winners of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League and 2019–20 UEFA Europa League are each given an additional entry if they do not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League through their domestic leagues. However, the Champions League and Europa League title holders have qualified through their domestic leagues, meaning the two additional entries are not necessary.

Association ranking

For the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2019 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2014–15 to 2018–19.[3]

Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:

  • (UCL) – Additional berth for UEFA Champions League title holders
  • (UEL) – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders
Association ranking for 2020–21 UEFA Champions League
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
1  Spain 103.569 4
2  England 85.462
3  Italy 74.725
4  Germany 71.927
5  France 58.498 3
6  Russia 50.549
7  Portugal 48.232 2
8  Belgium 39.900
9  Ukraine 38.900
10  Turkey 34.600
11  Netherlands 32.433
12  Austria 31.250
13  Czech Republic 28.675
14  Greece 27.600
15  Croatia 27.375
16  Denmark 27.025 1
17  Switzerland 26.900
18  Cyprus 24.925
19  Serbia 22.250
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
20  Scotland 22.125 1
21  Belarus 21.875
22  Sweden 20.900
23  Norway 20.200
24  Kazakhstan 19.250
25  Poland 19.250
26  Azerbaijan 19.000
27  Israel 18.625
28  Bulgaria 17.500
29  Romania 15.950
30  Slovakia 15.625
31  Slovenia 15.000
32  Liechtenstein 13.500 0
33  Hungary 10.500 1
34  North Macedonia 8.000
35  Moldova 7.750
36  Albania 7.500
37  Republic of Ireland 7.450
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
38  Finland 7.275 1
39  Iceland 7.250
40  Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.125
41  Lithuania 6.750
42  Latvia 5.625
43  Luxembourg 5.500
44  Armenia 5.250
45  Malta 5.125
46  Estonia 5.000
47  Georgia 4.750
48  Wales 4.125
49  Montenegro 4.125
50  Faroe Islands 4.000
51  Gibraltar 4.000
52  Northern Ireland 3.875
53  Kosovo 2.500
54  Andorra 1.831
55  San Marino 0.666

Distribution

The following is the access list for this season.[4]

Access list for 2020–21 UEFA Champions League
Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round
Preliminary round
(4 teams)
  • 4 champions from associations 52–55
First qualifying round
(34 teams)
  • 33 champions from associations 18–51 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 1 winner from the preliminary round
Second qualifying round Champions Path
(20 teams)
  • 3 champions from associations 15–17
  • 17 winners from the first qualifying round
League Path
(6 teams)
  • 6 runners-up from associations 10–15
Third qualifying round Champions Path
(10 teams)
  • 10 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions Path)
League Path
(6 teams)
  • 3 runners-up from associations 7–9
  • 3 winners from the second qualifying round (League Path)
Play-off round Champions Path
(8 teams)
  • 3 champions from associations 12–14
  • 5 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions Path)
League Path
(4 teams)
  • 1 third-placed team from association 6
  • 3 winners from the third qualifying round (League Path)
Group stage
(32 teams)
  • 11 champions from associations 1–11
  • 6 runners-up from associations 1–6
  • 5 third-placed teams from associations 1–5
  • 4 fourth-placed teams from associations 1–4
  • 4 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path)
  • 2 winners from the play-off round (League Path)
Knockout phase
(16 teams)
  • 8 group winners from the group stage
  • 8 group runners-up from the group stage

Changes were made to the default access list since the Champions League title holders, either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, and the Europa League title holders, Sevilla, which were guaranteed berths in the Champions League group stage, already qualified for the Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues. However, as a result of schedule delays to both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 European seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 European season started before the conclusion of the 2019–20 European season. Therefore, the changes to the access list that should be made based on the Champions League and Europa League title holders could not be certain until matches of the earlier qualifying rounds had been played and/or their draws had been made. UEFA used "adaptive re-balancing" to change the access list once the berths for the Champions League and Europa League title holders were determined, and rounds which had already been drawn or played by the time the title holders were determined would not be impacted (Regulations Article 3.04).[2] The following changes were made:

  • At the time when the draws for the first qualifying round and second qualifying round (Champions Path) were held on 9 and 10 August 2020, it was not certain whether the Champions League title holder berth would be vacated as one of the eight quarter-finalists of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, Lyon, did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic league. Therefore, these draws proceeded as normal per the default access list, and the matches drawn, which will be played on 18–19, 21 and 25–26 August 2020, will not be changed even though after the semi-finals of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, which were played on 18–19 August 2020, it was confirmed both finalists, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, already qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues, meaning the Champions League title holder berth would be vacated. As a result, "adaptive re-balancing" started from the third qualifying round (Champions Path), whose draw will be held on 31 August 2020, and the following changes to the access list were made:
    • The champions of association 11 (Netherlands), Ajax, entered the group stage instead of the play-off round (Champions Path).
    • The champions of associations 13 and 14 (Czech Republic and Greece), Slavia Prague and Olympiacos, entered the play-off round (Champions Path) instead of the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
  • At the time when the draw for the second qualifying round (League Path) was held on 10 August 2020, it was not certain whether the Europa League title holder berth would be vacated as four of the quarter-finalists of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bayer Leverkusen, Copenhagen and Basel, did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues. Therefore, this draw proceeded as normal per the default access list, and the matches drawn, which will be played on 25–26 August 2020, will not be changed even though after the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, which were played on 10–11 August 2020, it was confirmed all four semi-finalists, Sevilla, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk, already qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues, meaning the Europa League title holder berth would be vacated. As a result, "adaptive re-balancing" started from the third qualifying round (League Path), whose draw will be held on 31 August 2020, and the following changes to the access list were made:
    • The third-placed team of association 5 (France), Rennes, entered the group stage instead of the third qualifying round (League Path).
    • The third-placed team of association 6 (Russia), Krasnodar, entered the play-off round (League Path) instead of the third qualifying round (League Path).

Teams

In early April 2020, UEFA announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the deadline for entering the tournament had been postponed until further notice.[5] UEFA also sent a letter to all member associations that domestic leagues must be completed in full without ending prematurely in order to qualify for European competitions.[6] After meeting with the 55 UEFA associations on 21 April 2020, UEFA strongly recommended them to finish domestic top league and cup competitions, although in some special cases where it is not possible, UEFA would develop guidelines concerning participation in its club competitions in case of a cancelled league or cup.[7][8] After the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 23 April 2020, UEFA announced that if a domestic competition is prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons in accordance with conditions related to public health or economic problems, the national associations concerned are required to select their participating teams for the 2020–21 UEFA club competitions based on sporting merit in the 2019–20 domestic competitions, and UEFA reserves the right to refuse their admission if UEFA deems the termination of the competitions not legitimate, or the selection procedure not objective, transparent and non-discriminatory, or the team is perceived by the public as qualifying unfairly. A suspended domestic competition may also be restarted with a different format from the original one in a manner which would still facilitate qualification on sporting merit.[9][10] All leagues should communicate to UEFA by 25 May 2020 whether they intend to restart their competitions,[11] but this deadline was later extended. On 17 June 2020, UEFA announced that associations must enter their teams by 3 August 2020.[1]

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • TH: Champions League title holders
  • EL: Europa League title holders
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season
  • Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe as determined by the national association; all teams are subject to approval by UEFA as per the guidelines for entry to European competitions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and League Path (LP).

Qualified teams for 2020–21 UEFA Champions League
Entry round Teams
GS Spain Sevilla (4th)EL Spain Real Madrid (1st) Spain Barcelona (2nd) Spain Atlético Madrid (3rd)
England Liverpool (1st) England Manchester City (2nd)[Note ENG] England Manchester United (3rd) England Chelsea (4th)
Italy Juventus (1st) Italy Inter Milan (2nd) Italy Atalanta (3rd) Italy Lazio (4th)
Germany Bayern Munich (1st) Germany Borussia Dortmund (2nd) Germany RB Leipzig (3rd) Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach (4th)
France Paris Saint-Germain (Abd-1st)[Note FRA] France Marseille (Abd-2nd)[Note FRA] France Rennes (Abd-3rd)[Note FRA] Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg (1st)
Russia Lokomotiv Moscow (2nd) Portugal Porto (1st) Belgium Club Brugge (Abd-1st)[Note BEL] Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk (1st)
Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir (1st) Netherlands Ajax (Abd-1st)[Note NED]
PO CH Austria Red Bull Salzburg (1st) Czech Republic Slavia Prague (1st) Greece Olympiacos (1st)
LP Russia Krasnodar (3rd)
Q3 LP Portugal Benfica (2nd) Belgium Gent (Abd-2nd)[Note BEL] Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv (2nd)
Q2 CH Croatia Dinamo Zagreb (1st) Denmark Midtjylland (1st) Switzerland Young Boys (1st)
LP Turkey Beşiktaş (3rd)[Note TUR] Netherlands AZ (Abd-2nd)[Note NED] Austria Rapid Wien (2nd) Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň (2nd)
Greece PAOK (2nd) Croatia Lokomotiva (2nd)
Q1 Cyprus Omonia (Abd-1st)[Note CYP] Serbia Red Star Belgrade (1st) Scotland Celtic (Abd-1st)[Note SCO] Belarus Dynamo Brest (1st)
Sweden Djurgårdens IF (1st) Norway Molde (1st) Kazakhstan Astana (1st) Poland Legia Warsaw (1st)
Azerbaijan Qarabağ (Abd-1st)[Note AZE] Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv (1st) Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad (1st) Romania CFR Cluj (1st)
Slovakia Slovan Bratislava (1st) Slovenia Celje (1st) Hungary Ferencváros (1st) North Macedonia Sileks (Abd-2nd)[Note MKD]
Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol (1st) Albania Tirana (1st) Republic of Ireland Dundalk (1st) Finland KuPS (1st)
Iceland KR (1st) Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo (Abd-1st)[Note BIH] Lithuania Sūduva (1st) Latvia Riga (1st)
Luxembourg Fola Esch (Abd-1st)[Note LUX] Armenia Ararat-Armenia (1st) Malta Floriana (Abd-1st)[Note MLT] Estonia Flora (1st)
Georgia (country) Dinamo Tbilisi (1st) Wales Connah's Quay Nomads (Abd-1st)[Note WAL] Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica (Abd-1st)[Note MNE] Faroe Islands KÍ (1st)
Gibraltar Europa (Abd-1st)[Note GIB]
PR Northern Ireland Linfield (Abd-1st)[Note NIR] Kosovo Drita (1st) Andorra Inter Club d'Escaldes (1st) San Marino Tre Fiori (Abd-1st)[Note SMR]

Notes

  1. ^
    Azerbaijan (AZE): The 2019–20 Azerbaijan Premier League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Qarabağ (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, entering the first qualifying round.[13]
  2. ^
    Belgium (BEL): The 2019–20 Belgian First Division A was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. The top two teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Club Brugge (who were declared champions) and Gent, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Royal Belgian Football Association, entering the group stage and third qualifying round respectively.[14]
  3. ^
    Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH): The 2019–20 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Sarajevo (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entering the first qualifying round.[15]
  4. ^
    Cyprus (CYP): The 2019–20 Cypriot First Division was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Omonia, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Cyprus Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[16]
  5. ^
    England (ENG): Manchester City, the second-placed team of the 2019–20 Premier League, qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage, but were banned from all UEFA club competitions for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 14 February 2020 due to breaches of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.[17] However, Manchester City appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[18] and on 13 July 2020, it was announced that the ban on them participating in UEFA club competitions was overturned and they can play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.[19]
  6. ^
    France (FRA): The 2019–20 Ligue 1 was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The top three teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Paris Saint-Germain (who were declared champions), Marseille and Rennes, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the French Football Federation, entering the group stage.[20]
  7. ^
    Gibraltar (GIB): The 2019–20 Gibraltar National League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gibraltar. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Europa, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Gibraltar Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[21]
  8. ^
    Luxembourg (LUX): The 2019–20 Luxembourg National Division was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Fola Esch, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Luxembourg Football Federation, entering the first qualifying round.[22]
  9. ^
    Malta (MLT): The 2019–20 Maltese Premier League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Floriana (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Malta Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[23]
  10. ^
    Montenegro (MNE): The 2019–20 Montenegrin First League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Budućnost Podgorica (who were already assured of the title by then and were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Montenegro, entering the first qualifying round.[24]
  11. ^
    Netherlands (NED): The 2019–20 Eredivisie was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. The top two teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Ajax and AZ, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Royal Dutch Football Association, entering the group stage and second qualifying round respectively.[25]
  12. ^
    North Macedonia (MKD): The 2019–20 Macedonian First Football League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Vardar (who were declared champions), failed to obtain a UEFA licence, and as a result, the second-placed team, Sileks, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Federation of North Macedonia, entering the first qualifying round.[26]
  13. ^
    Northern Ireland (NIR): The 2019–20 NIFL Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonement, Linfield (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Irish Football Association, entering the preliminary round.[27]
  14. ^
    San Marino (SMR): The 2019–20 Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Tre Fiori (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the San Marino Football Federation, entering the preliminary round.[28]
  15. ^
    Scotland (SCO): The 2019–20 Scottish Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Celtic (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Scottish Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[29]
  16. ^
    Turkey (TUR): Trabzonspor, the second-placed team of the 2019–20 Süper Lig, would have qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, but were banned from all UEFA club competitions for the 2020–21 season by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 3 June 2020 due to breaches of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.[30] Trabzonspor appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[31] but on 30 July 2020, it was announced that the ban on them participating in UEFA club competitions was upheld.[32] As a result, Beşiktaş, the third-placed team, qualified for this berth.
  17. ^
    Wales (WAL): The 2019–20 Cymru Premier was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Connah's Quay Nomads (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Wales, entering the first qualifying round.[33]

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise).[34] The tournament would originally have started in June 2020, but had been delayed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.[35] The new schedule was announced by the UEFA Executive Committee on 17 June 2020.[36]

All qualifying matches, excluding the play-off round, will be played as single leg matches, hosted by one of the teams decided by draw (except the preliminary round which will be played at neutral venue), and will be played behind closed doors.[1][37]

Schedule for 2020–21 UEFA Champions League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round 17 July 2020 8 August 2020 (semi-final round) 11 August 2020 (final round)
First qualifying round 9 August 2020 18–19 August 2020
Second qualifying round 10 August 2020 25–26 August 2020
Third qualifying round 31 August 2020 15–16 September 2020
Play-off Play-off round 1 September 2020 22–23 September 2020 29–30 September 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 1 October 2020
(Athens) 		20–21 October 2020
Matchday 2 27–28 October 2020
Matchday 3 3–4 November 2020
Matchday 4 24–25 November 2020
Matchday 5 1–2 December 2020
Matchday 6 8–9 December 2020
Knockout phase Round of 16 14 December 2020 16–17 & 23–24 February 2021 9–10 & 16–17 March 2021
Quarter-finals 19 March 2021 6–7 April 2021 13–14 April 2021
Semi-finals 27–28 April 2021 4–5 May 2021
Final 29 May 2021 at Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul

The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows (all draws held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise).

Original schedule for 2020–21 UEFA Champions League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round 9 June 2020 23 June 2020 (semi-final round) 26 June 2020 (final round)
First qualifying round 16 June 2020 7–8 July 2020 14–15 July 2020
Second qualifying round 17 June 2020 21–22 July 2020 28–29 July 2020
Third qualifying round 20 July 2020 4–5 August 2020 11 August 2020
Play-off Play-off round 3 August 2020 18–19 August 2020 25–26 August 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 27 August 2020
(Monaco) 		15–16 September 2020
Matchday 2 29–30 September 2020
Matchday 3 20–21 October 2020
Matchday 4 3–4 November 2020
Matchday 5 24–25 November 2020
Matchday 6 8–9 December 2020
Knockout phase Round of 16 14 December 2020 16–17 & 23–24 February 2021 9–10 & 16–17 March 2021
Quarter-finals 19 March 2021 6–7 April 2021 13–14 April 2021
Semi-finals 27–28 April 2021 4–5 May 2021
Final 29 May 2021 at Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the following special rules are applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs:[38]

  • Prior to each draw, UEFA will publish the list of known travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All teams must inform UEFA if there are other existing restrictions other than those published. If a team fails to do so which as a consequence the match cannot take place, the team is considered responsible and to have forfeited the match.
  • If travel restrictions imposed by the home team's country prevent the away team from entering, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise they are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • If travel restrictions imposed by the away team's country prevent the away team from leaving or returning, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise UEFA will decide on a venue.
  • If after the draw, new restrictions imposed by either the home team's or away team's country prevent the match from taking place, the team of that country are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • If either team refuses to play the match, they are considered to have forfeited the match. If both teams refuse to play or are responsible for a match not taking place, both teams are disqualified.
  • If a team has players and/or officials tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus preventing them from playing the match before the deadline set by UEFA, they are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • In all cases, the two teams may agree to play the match at the away team's country or at a neutral country, subject to UEFA's approval. UEFA has the final authority to decide on a venue for any match, or to reschedule any match if necessary.
  • If, for any reason, the qualifying phase and play-offs cannot be completed before the deadline set by UEFA, UEFA will decide on the principles for determining the teams qualified for the group stage.

Four countries (Poland, Hungary, Greece and Cyprus) have provided neutral venue hubs which allow matches to be played at their stadiums without restrictions.[39]

Preliminary round

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Champions League preliminary round

The draw for the preliminary round was held on 17 July 2020, 12:00 CEST.[40] The semi-finals were played on 8 August at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon, Switzerland.[41] The final was due to be played at the same venue on 11 August but the match was cancelled due to Drita players being put into quarantine after two players had tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus, and Linfield were awarded a technical 3–0 win.

The losers of both semi-final and final rounds entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Semi-final round
Tre Fiori San Marino 0–2 Northern Ireland Linfield
Drita Kosovo 2–1 Andorra Inter Club d'Escaldes
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Final round
Drita Kosovo 0–3
(awd.)[A] 		Northern Ireland Linfield
  1. ^ Linfield were awarded a 3–0 win after the match was cancelled due to Drita players testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.[42]

The losers of both semi-final and final rounds will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

Qualifying rounds

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds

Note: All qualified teams below are listed with their 2020 UEFA club coefficients (CC),[43] updated after 2019–20 UEFA Champions/Europa League matches through 21 August 2020. Club coefficients which are not final and may increase are marked by ≥. For any team whose club coefficients are not final at the time of a draw, their club coefficients at that time (taking into account of all Champions/Europa League matches played up to that point) will be used (Regulations Article 13.03).[2]

First qualifying round

The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 9 August 2020, 12:00 CEST.[44] The matches were played on 18 and 19 August 2020. The match between KÍ and Slovan Bratislava was cancelled due to Slovan Bratislava players being put into quarantine after one player had tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus, and KÍ were awarded a technical 3–0 win.

The losers entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Ferencváros Hungary 2–0 Sweden Djurgårdens IF
Celtic Scotland 6–0 Iceland KR
Legia Warsaw Poland 1–0 Northern Ireland Linfield
Sheriff Tiraspol Moldova 2–0 Luxembourg Fola Esch
Connah's Quay Nomads Wales 0–2 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
Red Star Belgrade Serbia 5–0 Gibraltar Europa
Budućnost Podgorica Montenegro 1–3 Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad
Ararat-Armenia Armenia 0–1 (a.e.t.) Cyprus Omonia
Floriana Malta 0–2 Romania CFR Cluj
Maccabi Tel Aviv Israel 2–0 Latvia Riga
Qarabağ Azerbaijan 4–0 North Macedonia Sileks
Dinamo Tbilisi Georgia (country) 0–2 Albania Tirana
Dynamo Brest Belarus 6–3 Kazakhstan Astana
Molde Norway 5–0 Finland KuPS
Flora Estonia 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p) 		Lithuania Sūduva
Celje Slovenia 3–0 Republic of Ireland Dundalk
KÍ Faroe Islands 3–0
(awd.)[A] 		Slovakia Slovan Bratislava
  1. ^ KÍ were awarded a 3–0 win after the match was cancelled due to Slovan Bratislava players testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.[45]

The losers will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

Second qualifying round

The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 10 August 2020, 12:00 CEST.[46] The matches were played on 25 and 26 August 2020.

From the ten losers of Champions Path, two teams, Tirana and Ludogorets Razgrad, determined by a draw held on 31 August 2020 after the Europa League second qualifying round draw,[47] entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round (Champions Path), while the other eight teams entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path). The losers of League Path entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Main Path).

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Champions Path
CFR Cluj Romania 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–6 p) 		Croatia Dinamo Zagreb
Young Boys Switzerland 3–1 Faroe Islands KÍ
Celtic Scotland 1–2 Hungary Ferencváros
Sūduva Lithuania 0–3 Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
Legia Warsaw Poland 0–2 (a.e.t.) Cyprus Omonia
Celje Slovenia 1–2 Norway Molde
Ludogorets Razgrad Bulgaria 0–1 Denmark Midtjylland
Dynamo Brest Belarus 2–1 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
Qarabağ Azerbaijan 2–1 Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol
Tirana Albania 0–1 Serbia Red Star Belgrade
Team 1  Score  Team 2
League Path
AZ Netherlands 3–1 (a.e.t.) Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň
PAOK Greece 3–1 Turkey Beşiktaş
Lokomotiva Croatia 0–1 Austria Rapid Wien

From the 10 losers of the Champions Path, 8 will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path) and 2 (to be determined by draw) will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round (Champions Path); the losers of the League Path will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Main Path).

Third qualifying round

The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 31 August 2020, 12:00 CEST.[48] The matches were played on 15 and 16 September 2020.

The losers of Champions Path entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round (Champions Path). The losers of League Path entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Champions Path
Ferencváros Hungary 2–1 Croatia Dinamo Zagreb
Qarabağ Azerbaijan 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(5–6 p) 		Norway Molde
Omonia Cyprus 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p) 		Serbia Red Star Belgrade
Midtjylland Denmark 3–0 Switzerland Young Boys
Maccabi Tel Aviv Israel 1–0 Belarus Dynamo Brest
Team 1  Score  Team 2
League Path
PAOK Greece 2–1 Portugal Benfica
Dynamo Kyiv Ukraine 2–0 Netherlands AZ
Gent Belgium 2–1 Austria Rapid Wien

Play-off round

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Champions League play-off round

The draw for the play-off round was held on 1 September 2020, 12:00 CEST.[49] The first legs were played on 22 and 23 September, and the second legs were played on 29 and 30 September 2020.

The losers of both Champions Path and League Path entered the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Champions Path
Slavia Prague Czech Republic 1–4 Denmark Midtjylland 0–0 1–4
Maccabi Tel Aviv Israel 2–5 Austria Red Bull Salzburg 1–2 1–3
Olympiacos Greece 2–0 Cyprus Omonia 2–0 0–0
Molde Norway 3–3 (a) Hungary Ferencváros 3–3 0–0
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
League Path
Krasnodar Russia 4–2 Greece PAOK 2–1 2–1
Gent Belgium 1–5 Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv 1–2 0–3

Group stage

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage.

A total of 32 teams play in the group stage: 26 teams which enter in this stage, and the six winners of the play-off round (four from Champions Path, two from League Path).

The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams are seeded into four pots based on the following principles (introduced starting 2015–16 season):[50][51]

  • Pot 1 contains the Champions League and Europa League title holders, and the champions of the top six associations based on their 2019 UEFA country coefficients.[3] If either or both title holders were one of the champions of the top six associations, the champions of the next highest ranked association(s) are also seeded into Pot 1.
  • Pot 2, 3 and 4 contain the remaining teams, seeded based on their 2020 UEFA club coefficients.[43]

In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16, while the third-placed teams enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

The youth teams of the clubs that qualify for the group stage also participate in the 2020–21 UEFA Youth League on the same matchdays, where they compete in the UEFA Champions League Path (the youth domestic champions of the top 32 associations compete in a separate Domestic Champions Path until the play-offs).

İstanbul Başakşehir and Rennes will make their debut appearances in the group stage.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "UEFA competitions to resume in August". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League, 2020/21". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Country coefficients 2018/19". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Champions League and Europa League changes next season". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  5. ^ "UEFA postpones all June national team matches". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Clubs risk Champions League exclusion if seasons abandoned prematurely". The Guardian. 3 April 2020.
  7. ^ "UEFA meets National Associations for update on ongoing works". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 21 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Uefa says some leagues could be cancelled 'in special cases'". BBC Sport. 21 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Executive Committee approves guidelines on eligibility for participation to UEFA competitions". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Uefa keen on sporting merit qualification method for European competitions". BBC Sport. 23 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Uefa asks European Leagues for decision on domestic seasons by 25 May". BBC Sport. 28 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Guidelines on eligibility principles for 2020/21 UEFA Club Competitions – COVID 19" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 April 2020.
  13. ^ "İcraiyyə Komitəsinin iclası keçirilib". Azərbaycan Futbol Federasiyaları Assosiasiyası. 18 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Communication à la suite de l'Assemblée Générale". Jupiler Pro League. 15 May 2020.
  15. ^ "ODRŽANA 51.SJEDNICA IO NS/FS BiH". Nogometni/Fudbalski savez Bosne i Hercegovine. 1 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Δ.Σ. ΚΟΠ: Απόφαση για διακοπή του Πρωταθλήματος Cyta και του Κυπέλλου Coca - Cola". Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου. 15 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Club Financial Control Body Adjudicatory Chamber decision on Manchester City Football Club". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Club statement". Manchester City F.C. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  19. ^ "13.07.2020 - Decision in the arbitration procedure between Manchester City FC & UEFA" (PDF). Court of Arbitration for Sport. 13 July 2020.
  20. ^ "PSG champions as season ended". Ligue 1. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  21. ^ "Domestic Football Season Terminated". Gibraltar Football Association. 1 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Informations aux clubs de la FLF – crise du CORONA COVID-19 Décisions du Conseil d'Administration". Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Football. 28 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Malta Football Association Council – Statement". Malta Football Association. 25 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Saopštenje Izvršnog odbora - 07.07.2020". Fudbalski savez Crne Gore. 7 July 2020.
  25. ^ "Afwikkeling voetbalseizoen 2019/'20 een feit". Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond. 22 April 2020.
  26. ^ "Седница на Управен одбор на ФФМ". Фудбалска Федерација на Македонија. 26 June 2020.
  27. ^ "STATEMENT: 26 JUNE 2020". Northern Ireland Football League. 26 June 2020.
  28. ^ "La prossima stagione inizierà il 1 luglio, Tre Fiori e Fiorentino campioni 2019-20". Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio. 23 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Ladbrokes Premiership and SPFL Season 2019/20 curtailed". Scottish Professional Football League. 18 May 2020.
  30. ^ "CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber issues order excluding Trabzonspor AŞ". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  31. ^ "Sports court to announce Trabzonspor verdict this month". aa.com.tr. 16 July 2020.
  32. ^ "CAS issues its decision in the appeal filed by Trabzonspor A.S. against UEFA" (PDF). tas-cas.org. 30 July 2020.
  33. ^ "FAW Board decide to curtail National Leagues season". Football Association of Wales. 19 May 2020.
  34. ^ "2020/21 UEFA Champions League match calendar". Union of European Football Associations. 24 September 2019.
  35. ^ "2020/21 UEFA Champions League: all you need to know". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 July 2020.
  36. ^ "Updated UEFA competitions calendar". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  37. ^ "Venues for Round of 16 matches confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 July 2020.
  38. ^ "Annex I – Special rules applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs due to COVID-19" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 4 August 2020.
  39. ^ "UEFA meets with General Secretaries from its 55 member associations". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 August 2020.
  40. ^ "UEFA Champions League preliminary round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 July 2020.
  41. ^ "Domestic teams to start in European competitions in August". Irish Football Association. 18 June 2020.
  42. ^ "UEFA Appeals Body renders decision on KF Drita". UEFA. 12 August 2020.
  43. ^ a b "Club coefficients 2019/20". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
  44. ^ "UEFA Champions League first qualifying round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 August 2020.
  45. ^ "UEFA Appeals Body renders decision on UCL first qualifying round match KÍ Klaksvík v ŠK Slovan Bratislava". UEFA. 24 August 2020.
  46. ^ "UEFA Champions League second qualifying round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 August 2020.
  47. ^ "UEFA Europa League second qualifying round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 31 August 2020.
  48. ^ "UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 31 August 2020.
  49. ^ "UEFA Champions League play-off round draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 September 2020.
  50. ^ "Champions League: Domestic title winners to receive top-seed status". BBC Sport. 9 October 2014.
  51. ^ "Champions' bonus for group stage draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 April 2015.
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