The 2001–02 UEFA Champions League was the 47th season of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier club football tournament, and the 10th since its rebranding from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The tournament was won by Real Madrid, who beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final to claim their ninth European Cup title. The final's winning goal was scored by Zinedine Zidane, with a left-footed volley from the edge of the penalty area.
Bayer Leverkusen eliminated all three English teams on their way to the final: Arsenal (Arsenal won 5–2 on head to head, but Leverksuen were superior against other teams in the group) in the second group stage, followed by Liverpool in the quarter-finals and Manchester United in the semi-final.
Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was the tournament's top scorer, scoring 10 goals from the first group stage through to the semi-final.
Bayern Munich were the defending champions, but were eliminated by eventual winners Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Location of teams of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League first group stage. Brown: Group A; Red: Group B; Orange: Group C; Yellow: Group D; Green: Group E; Blue: Group F; Purple: Group G; Pink: Group H.
16 winners from the third qualifying round, 10 champions from countries ranked 1–10, and six second-placed teams from countries ranked 1–6 were drawn into eight groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advance to the second group stage, and the third placed team in each group advance to the Third Round of the UEFA Cup.
Eight winners and eight runners-up from the first group stage were drawn into four groups of four teams each, each containing two group winners and two runners-up. Teams from the same country or from the same first round group could not be drawn together. The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarter-finals.