Newly minted holders Real Madrid are among eight teams seeded in Pot 1 for the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 24 August along with the returning Spartak Moskva and, following Saturday’s result in Cardiff, Shakhtar Donetsk, as 22 clubs are now confirmed for next season’s competition.
Thanks to a system that began in 2015/16, Pot 1 for the group stage draw is formed by the holders and the champions of the top seven national associations as per the UEFA association club coefficient rankings at the end of season 2015/16 that formed the 2017/18 access list.
But since Madrid won both the UEFA Champions League and the Spanish Liga, the newly vacated spot in Pot 1 is taken by the champions of the eighth-ranked association, Shakhtar Donetsk.
The remaining three pots will be formed as per the UEFA club coefficient rankings at the end of 2016/17.
Pot 1 for 2017/18 group stage draw
Holders: Real Madrid
Germany: Bayern München
England: Chelsea
Italy: Juventus
Portugal: Benfica
France: Monaco
Russia: Spartak Moskva
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Current coefficients of other teams provisionally qualified for group stage
Barcelona (ESP) 151.999
Atlético Madrid (ESP) 142.999
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 126.333
Borussia Dortmund (GER) 124.899
Manchester City (ENG) 100.192
Porto (POR) 98.866
Manchester United* (ENG) 95.192
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 77.192
Basel (SUI) 74.415
Anderlecht (BEL) 58.840
Roma (ITA) 53.666
Beşiktaş (TUR) 45.840
Feyenoord (NED) 23.212
RB Leipzig (GER) 15.899
*Because the UEFA Champions League holders, Madrid, would have earned a group stage place via their domestic league, the UEFA Europa League winners
Manchester United are given a bye to the UEFA Champions League group stage rather than entering in the play-offs.
Places vacant
Play-offs: 10
If the access list needs to be adjusted once all the participants are known and admitted, priority for the UEFA Champions League will be given to the winners of the domestic championship (in accordance with the entry stage as per the access list). The adjusted list will be announced by UEFA.
The club coefficient rankings are based on results over the last five UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League campaigns.
As the UEFA Champions League winners will also have finished top of their domestic league, the champions of the eighth-ranked nation (Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine) will receive the eighth place in Pot 1.
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