UCL Draw Thread

[Sheva. 5,373]

Would be hilarious if Arsenal got knocked out.

Everyone says this every year.

And they always get tough games but still sneak through.

[Milan 17,835]

I was at the game yesterday, magical from Rosenberg. Where in Sweden do you come from mate?

Damn you guys! But honestly, Malmo wanted it more yesterday and Sparta deserved to go out. The atmoshpere and Malmo fans were amazing.

[Skau13 21]

Everyone says this every year.

And they always get tough games but still sneak through.

Not sure I would want Arsenal to only focus on the league either. Be good for them to tire from CL football and finish fourth like they always do

[Jase 43,479]

Full Champions League play-off draw:

League route:

Besiktas v Arsenal

Standard Liege v Zenit St. Petersburg

FC Copenhagen v Bayer Leverkusen

Lille v FC Porto

Napoli v Athletic Bilbao

Champions route:

NK Maribor v Celtic

RB Salzburg v Malmo

Aalborg v APOEL

Steaua Bucharest v Ludogorets Razgrad

Slovan Bratislava v Bate Borisov

Matches to be played on 19/20 and 26/27 August.

And ICYMI, Celtic have been reinstated into the competition after a blunder by Legia in the last round - http://www.espnfc.com.sg/uefa-champions-league/story/1977326/legia-warsaw-out-of-champions-league-for-fielding-ineligible-player

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

Malmo got Salzburg, worst possible draw....

[Sheva. 5,373]

Napoli and Bilbao ffs.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Besiktas vs Arsenal

Hmm... The same team we're playing today.

[Ze Mario 638]

Full Champions League play-off draw:

League route:

Besiktas v Arsenal

Standard Liege v Zenit St. Petersburg

FC Copenhagen v Bayer Leverkusen

Lille v FC Porto

Napoli v Athletic Bilbao

Champions route:

NK Maribor v Celtic

RB Salzburg v Malmo

Aalborg v APOEL

Steaua Bucharest v Ludogorets Razgrad

Slovan Bratislava v Bate Borisov

Matches to be played on 19/20 and 26/27 August.

And ICYMI, Celtic have been reinstated into the competition after a blunder by Legia in the last round - http://www.espnfc.com.sg/uefa-champions-league/story/1977326/legia-warsaw-out-of-champions-league-for-fielding-ineligible-player

after 1-6 agg? and they did blunder for fielding ineligible player who was playing for 2 minutes?

they won in 178 minutes match, but UEFA only need 2 minutes to rob Legia right to fight in play off.

bunch of twits!

[Jase 43,479]

after 1-6 agg? and they did blunder for fielding ineligible player who was playing for 2 minutes?

they won in 178 minutes match, but UEFA only need 2 minutes to rob Legia right to fight in play off.

bunch of twits!

Rules are rules though. It's a simple black and white rule in this case and it's nonsensical how clubs can make such silly mistake really.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

after 1-6 agg? and they did blunder for fielding ineligible player who was playing for 2 minutes?

they won in 178 minutes match, but UEFA only need 2 minutes to rob Legia right to fight in play off.

bunch of twits!

Defender Bartosz Bereszynski came on for the final four minutes

[Jase 43,479]

If the play-off results go accordingly, we could potentially be drawn into the same group with Zenit and Napoli. Mourinho v Benitez v AVB...

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Why Celtic didn't play at Celtic Park?

[Jase 43,479]

Why Celtic didn't play at Celtic Park?

The stadium was used for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland..

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

Champions League play-off draw:

Besiktas v Arsenal

I would actually piss myself laughing if Besiktas could actually beat and knockout Arsenal from the UEFA Champions League Season.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Do the losers get kicked out of Europe completely or do they go to the Europa League?

[Madmax 9,219]

Do the losers get kicked out of Europe completely or do they go to the Europa League?

Champions Route

The first qualifying round sees the champions of the countries ranked 50 to 53 in UEFA competition play two two-legged ties. The two winners of those ties progress to the second qualifying round where they are joined by the champions of the 32 countries ranked 17 to 49 (except Liechtenstein).

The victorious sides from those 17 ties join the champions from the countries ranked 14 to 16 in the third qualifying round. The winners of these 10 ties go through to the play-off round. The winners of these five ties, which take place on a home and away basis, reach the group stages of the Champions League

League Route

The third-placed team from the sixth-ranked member association starts in the third qualifying round alongside the runners-up from the associations ranked 7 to 15.

The winners of these five ties go through to the play-off round where they are joined by the fourth-placed teams from the member associations ranked 1 to 3, and the third-placed sides from the associations ranked 4 and 5. The teams that emerge victorious from these five ties go through to the group stages of the Champions League.

Teams in the Champions Route cannot meet those in the League route.

Teams who lose in the third qualifying round go into the Europa League play-offs.

The five teams who lose in the Champions League play-off round enter the Europa League group stages.

Teams who finish third in each of the Champions League groups go into the Europa League round of 32.

[Skau13 21]

Silly mistake by Legia. Shoulf know better.

Not great draws for the Scandinavians. Hoping Aalborg pulls through

[The Chels 2,502]

Rules are rules though. It's a simple black and white rule in this case and it's nonsensical how clubs can make such silly mistake really.

Uefa are hardly consistent though. This seems completely unjust to me.

However, in 2010, Uefa fined Debrecen £15,000 but rejected a protest from opponents Litex Lovech, who wanted the Hungarian side kicked out of the tournament for fielding an ineligible player.

Debrecen argued that they fielded Peter Mate in good faith as a substitute in Bulgaria when they were leading 4-1 on aggregate.

Uefa ruled that Debrecen had "no interest in fielding this player for the three last minutes of additional time, when the score was so clearly in its favour".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28693855