Ajax can prepare for the draw for the group stage of the Champions League. Due to the elimination of PSV against Benfica on Tuesday, the team from Amsterdam is the only Dutch team to go into the tubes. On Wednesday evening, the last three clubs qualified for the billion-dollar ball, so that all 32 participants are now known. The draw starts Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
Ajax itself is classified in pot 3, as the champion of the Eredivisie has known since May. The team from Amsterdam will be linked to a club from pot 1, 2 and 4. On Wednesday, Red Bull Salzurg, Sheriff Tiraspol and Shakhtar Donetsk were the last to join the participants for the group stage, after Benfica, Young Boys and Malmö FF also managed to join on Tuesday. qualify through the playoffs. The other 26 participants had already qualified through the national competition and winning the Champions League and Europa League.
Provisional Champions League pot classification
| CLUB IN POT 1 | POSTED AS | COEFFICIENT |
|---|---|---|
| Atletico Madrid | 1st from Spain | 115,000 |
| Manchester City | 1st of England | 125,000 |
| Bayern Munich | 1st from Germany | 134,000 | Internazionale | 1st from Italy | 53,000 |
| Lille OSC | 1st of France | 14,000 |
| Sporting Portugal | 1st from Portugal | 45,500 |
| Chelsea | Champions League Winner | 98,000 |
| Villarreal | Europa League Winner | 63,000 |
| CLUBS IN POT 2 | POSTED AS | COEFFICIENT |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 2nd from Spain | 127,000 |
| Barcelona | 3rd from Spain | 122,000 |
| Juventus | 4th from Italy | 120,000 |
| Paris Saint Germain | 2nd from France | 113,000 |
| Manchester United | 2nd from England | 113,000 |
| Liverpool | 3rd from England | 101,000 |
| Seville | 4th from Spain | 98,000 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 3rd from Germany | 90,000 |
| CLUBS IN POT 3 | POSTED AS | COEFFICIENT |
|---|---|---|
| FC Porto | 2nd from Portugal | 87,000 |
| Ajax | 1st of the Netherlands | 82,500 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 2nd from Ukraine (via playoffs) | 79,000 |
| RB Leipzig | 2nd from Germany | 66,000 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2nd from Austria (via playoffs) | 59,000 | Benfica | 3rd from Portugal (via playoffs) | 58,000 |
| Atalanta | 2nd from Italy | 50,500 |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 1st from Russia | 50,000 |
| CLUB IN POT 4 | POSTED AS | COEFFICIENT |
|---|---|---|
| Besiktas | 1st from Turkey | 49,000 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 1st from Ukraine | 47,000 |
| Club Brugge | 1st of Belgium | 35,500 |
| Young Boys | 1st from Switzerland (via playoffs) | 35,000 |
| AC Milan | 2nd from Italy | 31,000 |
| Malmo FF | 1st from Sweden (via playoffs) | 18,500 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 4th from Germany | 14.714 |
| Sheriff Tiraspol | 1st from Moldova (via playoffs) | 14,500 |
Pot 1 contains the champions of the six highest-ranking countries (Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Lille OSC, Sporting Portugal). In addition, the winner of the Europa League (Villarreal) and the Champions League (Chelsea) are also assured of a place in the height pot. From pot 2 onwards, the coefficient is considered: the higher a club is in the ranking, the higher the place in the pot classification. With Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, three Spanish teams are classified in the second pot. Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund complete the strong pot 2.
Ajax just fell short for that and therefore has to make do with a place in pot 3. As a result, the team from Amsterdam avoids the two Portuguese participants: FC Porto and Benfica. Also, Ajax will certainly not be linked to RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, Atalanta, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Shakhtar Donetsk. In pot 4 the most eye-catching name is AC Milan. The VfL Wolfsburg of Mark van Bommel and Club Brugge, the champion of Belgium, are also in the last pot, as are Besiktas, Dinamo Kiev, Young Boys, Malmö FF and Sheriff Tiraspol.