MONACO (AP) — With 36 teams participating in the Champions League set up, the draw for the most highly regarded title in European club soccer will take place in Monaco on Thursday.
Each team will face eight opponents in the opening league phase, which will be held from September to January.
The list of teams is more dominated than ever by five wealthy leagues: England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France. However, this list is one of the most diverse with Cyprus and Kazakhstan entries among new teams in this league stage of a multi-billion dollar competition.
Here are the Champions League figures this season:
4
Clubs making their debut on the main stage of the Champions League: Bodo/Grimt of Norway, Kairato Almaty of Kazakhstan, Paphos of Cyprus, and Union Sangillowers of Belgium.
6
36 teams draw English clubs, record numbers from one country. There were four guaranteed entries in the Premier League. Plus, it’s the fifth bonus, like Spain, with the best overall performance in UEFA’s three competitions last season. plus Europa League title holder Tottenham.
8
Guaranteed the game for each team in the group stage. This is two more than the traditional format when the competition splits 32 teams into groups of four. Each team plays eight different opponents, four at home and four apart.
15
A record of the titles that Real Madrid won. AC Milan is the following seven, but the Italian giants were not eligible for this edition. Paris Saint-Germain defends First title.
17
Tottenham’s Premier League finish position last season is a record low among teams playing in the Champions League next season.
144
Total number of games Single-stand league format with 36 teams That last season, the group stages of the traditional 96 games were replaced by 32 teams.
2007
The last time the Norwegian team played in the Main Champions League. Bodeau/Grimta small town team from inside the Arctic Circle follows Rosenborg 18 years ago.
7,000
From Almati in Central Asia to Lisbon in the west of Europe, it is in kilometres (or 4,350 miles). Kazakhstan is four hours away from Portugal and the UK.
19.6 million
The amount of euros ($22.9 million) guaranteed even to Kairat, the lowest ranked team. That’s before adding bonuses to the game’s results and final place locations, and adding more broadcast gold stocks.
150 million
The title winner in May can be expected to earn a total of UEFA.
2.47 billion
This Champions League version of UEFA’s total prize fund amounts to the euro ($2.88 billion). This is more than four times the prize money in the second tier Europa League.
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