With the final qualifying round ending in a few days, the UCL group stage will kick-off from next month after the draw scheduled for 1st October. The group stage draw was originally scheduled to be hosted in Greece, but the ceremony has been moved to Switzerland behind closed doors for health reasons.

The delayed UEFA Champions League season is expected to properly kick-off on 20 th October, starting with the group stage games for the 2020/2021 campaign. The actual tournament will kick off a month later than usual due to delays caused by wrapping up different leagues. However, UEFA believes that there’s still enough time to conclude the group stages by mid-December before completing the knockout.

Where’s the Champions League Group Stage Draw?

While Athens was originally chosen to host both the Europa League and UEFA Champions League draw, the location had to be changed. With the public health situation in Greece escalating, the country had to put measures in place to bar visitors from abroad. That forced UEFA to make a change of the venue, choosing to return to their headquarters in Nyon, though no media or club representatives will be allowed to attend.

According to UEFA’s official statement, the decision to change the venue was arrived at after a series of discussions with the Greek authorities. The event will be staged in Nyon, Switzerland, comprising draws for both the 2020/2021 UEFA Europa League and UCL group stage. Fortunately, the event’s football updates will be globally broadcasted despite being hosted behind closed doors with only award winners.

When is the Draw?

The UCL group stage draw for the 2020/2021 season will take place on Thursday 1st October after the completion of the final qualifying round. That will be followed by the Europa League draw which is slated for the next day on Friday 2nd October.

What Time Will the Group Stage Draw Start?

The UEFA Champions League draw ceremony will start at 5 pm BST or 6 pm CET on Friday. As such, the draw itself is likely to start 10 to 15 minutes after beginning the ceremony, lasting less than 15 minutes.

Who Will Feature In The UCL Group Stage Draw?

Pot 1: Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Juventus, Porto, Zenit St. Petersburg, Paris Saint Germain

Pot 2: Barcelona, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester United, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund

Pot 2 or 3: Ajax

Pot 3: Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, Atlanta, Lazio

Pot 3 or 4: Marseile, Lokomotiv Moscow, Borussia Monchengladbach, Club Brugge

Pot 4: Rennes, Istanbul Basaksehir

Who Can Still Qualify?

With the final qualifying round set to come to a wrap in a few days, several teams can still qualify for the group stages. These teams include Ferencvaros, Molde, Paok, KAA Gent, Dynamo Kyiv, Krasnodar, Red Bull Salzburg, Slavia Prague and Olympiacos.

Champions’ League Group Stage Dates

Matchday 1 – 20th/21st October

Matchday 2 – 27th/28th October

Matchday 3 – 3rd/4th November

Matchday 4 – 24th/25th November

Matchday 5 – 1st/2nd December

Matchday 6 – 8th/9th December

By RBN Media

© 2020 Copyright RBN Media - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

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