Report and groups in full
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Lens
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin
Group D: Benfica, Inter, Salzburg, Real Sociedad
Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
Group F: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle
Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star, Young Boys
Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Royal Antwerp
Updated
Right, this is where we bid you farewell for today’s Champions League draw blog. See the full draw in the pinned post above, and all the reaction – including those comments from Wiegman and Bonmati – below. Until next time!
Manchester United have got Bayern Munich again (don’t mention the 1999 final, don’t mention the 1999 final, don’t mention th-) and the aptly-named Duncan Edwards points out on email that in 1998/99 “Bayern, Man United, Barcelona, Brondby was not exactly a group of life” – which is true.
Rashy is excited, at least.
Can’t wait to make more memories in the @ChampionsLeague ⭐️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/8lsJ3yNRyZ
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) August 31, 2023
Some emails now – and it’s Group of Death/Newcastle chat:
Kári Tulinius: “I was discussing with a friend and we cannot remember a stronger group than PSG, Dortmund, Milan and Newcastle. Is this the all-time deathiest group of death?”
Stephen Mackie: “As a Toon fan returning to the Champions League after a such a long time I think I wanted either the easiest possible group to increase chances of getting to the knockouts, or the hardest possible group to make every game an occasion. Be careful what you wish for I guess!”
John Davis: “Dan Burn last min header at the San Siro, Elliot Anderson jinking run and finish at the Westfalenstadion and Sean Longstaff tracking back with Mbappe at the Parc des Princes, nicking the ball then running 70 yards and smashing it in from outside the area. I’ve seen the future and it’s beautiful".”
Erling Haaland hits a rather lighter note. He admits “Pep can be scary” with a laugh and a smile as he accepts his award.
A rough translation of Bonmati’s speech:
These are not good times in Spanish football, there are things that we cannot let go of. As a society we should not allow the abuse of power, the lack of respect, we are with Jenni and with all the women who have gone through the same thing.
Aitana Bonmati is the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year! 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 31, 2023
She lit up the World Cup for Spain! 🇪🇸#UEFAawards pic.twitter.com/D4Z3l7F3Kj
Here’s the latest on the Spanish football federation scandal, with another twist set to unfold.
Sarina Wiegman spoke more sense there on the Rubiales issue than any UEFA suit. Perhaps mostly because they’ve said next to nothing. Ceferin looked embarrassed as well he might.
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) August 31, 2023
The Uefa women’s player of the year is Aitana Bonmatí.
That is announced at the same time as the men’s player of the year, who is Erling Haaland.
Wiegman message on Spanish football scandal
She made sure she got this across.
It also feels a little different. We all know the issues around the Spain team at the moment and it really hurts me as a coach, a mother and a daughter. I’d like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team, who played such good football, this team deserves to be celebrated and listened to.
England manager Sarina Wiegman dedicates women’s coach of the year award to Spain team that beat the Lionesses in the World Cup final
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 31, 2023
On stage in Monaco on the Rubiales scandal she says: “It really hurts me”
“This team deserves to be celebrated and listened to” https://t.co/aKvWXWVRZj
Updated
Possibly the toughest group to call is Group D; the combination of Benfica, Inter, Salzburg and Sociedad seems well balanced. Celtic also have a shot in Group E alongside Feyenoord, Atleti and Lazio. We’ve got some lovely old school European Cup ties in that one.
“It’s very special what we’ve done, it’s all about quality,” parps Wiegman, who collects her award with trademark modesty.
Arsenal will be quietly happy with their draw, as they make a first Champions League group stage appearance since 2016/17. Sevilla are canny operators in Europe but PSV and Lens are well beatable.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has been named Uefa men’s coach of the year, inevitably. He cannot be present as he recovers from surgery. The women’s coach of the year is Sarina Wiegman – a second consecutive such prize for the Lionesses’ head honcho.
Back on stage, Miroslav Klose is presented with the Uefa President’s Award for fair play.
And breathe! Goodness me, Newcastle fans, a penny for your thoughts? Some of Europe’s biggest arenas will be on the Toon Army’s travel itineraries over the next few months, that’s for sure. From a football perspective, Eddie Howe’s men have their work cut out.
Of the English clubs, though, maybe fans of Manchester United have the best travel experience, with trips to Munich, Copenhagen and Istanbul in store.
Full draw summary
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV, Lens
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin
Group D: Benfica, Inter, Salzburg, Real Sociedad
Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
Group F: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle
Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Crevna Zvezda, Young Boys
Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Royal Antwerp
Updated
The last team out in the entire draw is Royal Antwerp, who go into Group H.
Lens are in Group B.
Celtic go into Group E.
Eeesh.
The #UCL group stage draw has been made!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 31, 2023
We have been drawn in Group F and will face:
🇫🇷 PSG
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 AC Milan
Howay the Lads! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/rJGzUFBlZ2
Young Boys find themselves in Group G.
Whipping Boys, more like.
Union Berlin are making their Champions League debut and get drawn in Group C.
Galatasaray go into Group A. Some big games in there. We’ll recap these two groups of death shortly.
Newcastle! They’re in Group F. Shocker for them. Groans around the room.
Back to the draw and Pot 4.
Real Sociedad go into Group D (Benfica, Inter, Salzburg).
An email answering that pesky Pot 3/4 question from earlier. Chris Francis says:
AC Milan won it in 2003 after starting in Pot 3. Apparently Mourinho has coached two Pot 2 teams to the trophy but never won it with a Pot 1 team. Likes the siege mentality!
Updated
Finally from the Pot 3 sides, it’s Braga of Portugal who slot into Group C with Napoli and Real Madrid.
Good to see Lazio in tonight’s draw, a welcome return to the Champions League for them. They’re in Group E. Copenhagen are also out of the hat and will be in Group A.
Salzburg go into Group D. Bit of a meh group so far.
(AC) Milan are in a HEAVYWEIGHT Group F with PSG and Dortmund. Woof.
PSV are in Arsenal and Sevilla’s Group.
Next out is Crvena Zvezda AKA Red Star Belgrade – with Joe Cole preferring to say the latter. They’ll play in Group G with City and Leipzig.
The first Pot 3 team to be drawn is Shakhtar Donetsk and they go into Group H.
Pots 1 and 2 draw so far
Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United
Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal
Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid
Group D; Benfica, Inter
Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid
Group F: PSG, Dortmund
Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig
Group H: Barcelona, Porto
And finally for the Pot 2 round of teams, it’s Real Madrid who will meet Napoli in Group C.
FC Porto are next out and will go into Barcelona’s Group, H.
Internazionale are in Group D with Benfica. A nice draw for last year’s finalists.
RB Leipzig drop into Group G with Manchester City. I swear these two teams ALWAYS play each other?
Manchester United are out of the hat – and it’s a tasty draw in Bayern Munich’s Group (A)!
Atlético Madrid … go into Group E. Feyenoord are there with them.
Arsenal are in Group B with Sevilla. Mikel Arteta will take that.
Borussia Dortmund are the next team drawn – and they’re slotted into Group F with PSG.
An email from Wolfgang Ludwig-Mayerhofer as we wait:
Looking at the four pots for the draw it seems virtually impossibe that a team from pot 3 or pot 4 might win the Champions League eventually. Do you happen to know whether there have been any winners from these pots in the past?
Answers on a postcard please … (or later)
The final two top seeds are put into groups, with Manchester City going into Group G and Barcelona in Group H.
Now time for Pot 2 …
Two more Pot 1 teams are drawn, with Dutch champs Feyenoord going into Group E; Paris Saint-Germain are in Group F.
Napoli for Group C. Benfica are in Group D.
Sevilla are in Group B. Europa League winners but not a powerhouse of Pot 1, really.
First team out of the bucket is Bayern Munich. Group A for them.
Updated
Let's go
Giorgio has talked us through the draw, we’ve had another couple of montages and we’re now ready for names out of the proverbial hat.
Very much this.
The tone in Monaco seems out of kilter with the fact a UEFA vice president Luis Rubiales (suspended by FIFA) is at the centre of a scandal that has sparked deeper concerns about sexism in football and an absence of leaders discussing it
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 31, 2023
An email and a link. Paul Roche is killing time.
Who doesn’t like some late 70s synth pop to pass the time during these turgid draws Dominic.
Someone needs to fix Joe Cole’s mic. He says he wants ‘favourable draws for all the English teams’ apparently. No Chelsea or West Ham in there, though, Joe.
Now here come the Uefa drawmasters, led by usual suspect Giorgio Marchetti.
Eric Abidal and Joe Cole are this evening’s special guests and thus are called onto the stage to help conduct the draw. Both have ties to the final location, Wembley, with Cole a Londoner and Abidal having lifted the Champions League at Wembley in 2011 when Barça beat smashed Manchester United.
Updated
The suits await in their masses packed inside the Grimaldi Forum as Pedro and Reshim go through their preamble. Time for a dramatic montage of last year’s Champions League on the screens.
Updated
Pedro Pinto and Reshmin Chowdhury are now presenting live coverage of the draw. The Uefa approved build-up fluff has officially begun.
All 32 teams in the draw
All the pots are all based on Uefa coefficient rankings, with league winners and/or major European trophy holders in Pot 1.
Pot 1: Manchester City, Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord.
Pot 2: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto, Arsenal.
Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Salzburg, Milan, Braga, PSV, Lazio, Crvena Zvezda, Copenhagen.
Pot 4: Young Boys, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Newcastle , Union Berlin , Antwerp, Lens.
Updated
Turn this up loud to get you in the mood.
The chaaaaampions 🎶 #UCL || #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/RGJzknU2zd
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 31, 2023
Today’s Football Daily is out and about, with focus on Rangers’ abject failure to qualify for this Big Cup draw. PSV pulverised them to earn the right to finish third in any given group.
An email from Krishna as we prepare for that 5pm ‘start time’:
Good evening Dominic. 10 years ago Barcelona was the team to avoid. Then it evolved into a tournament where 32 teams compete and Real Madrid wins. Will the recent run by the English clubs sway the momentum in the favour of the Premier League?
Good question. I would suggest substituting Premier League with Manchester City and you’d be close.
Three things before we get into the nuts and bolts of things:
The first is obvious; that 5pm BST start is a pipe dream. These draws never, ever start on time, so there’s that.
It’s also worth restating that, as well as the Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4 dictating today’s draw, no team can be drawn in the same group as another side from their own association.
Also, the Uefa men’s and women’s players and coaches of the year will be presented during today’s ceremony in Monaco, as well as the Uefa President’s Award, which is going to Miroslav Klose.
Here’s Nick Ames’ scene-setter from Monte Carlo, as a maelstrom of controversy surrounds Uefa with the Luis Rubiales saga showing little sign of relenting.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our coverage of today’s Champions League group stage draw. There’s plenty of subtext today’s event beyond the usual intrigue: not least how it’s been overshadowed by the current scandal engulfing one of Uefa’s vice-presidents, Luis Rubiales who faces calls to resign after the Women’s World Cup controversy; then there’s the plain fact that this will be the final Champions League group stage draw in this format – it’s expanding to 36 teams in one big group from 2024 onwards. With the final qualifiers having been decided earlier in the week, we’re all set for the grand ceremony in Monte Carlo from 5pm BST.
