The UEFA Youth League returns for 2024/25, and just like the Champions League, there is a brand new format that Mehmet Ali's team will have to get to grips with.
The title is currently held by Olympiakos, who beat AC Milan 3-0 in the final last season, but the 11th edition of the competition is sure to be very different for all involved. Here's how it'll work:
HOW DOES THE UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE WORK?
The contenders are split into two paths, the UEFA Champions League path (involving all 36 clubs who are competing in the senior Champions League), and the Domestic Champions path. This has been restructured to include the domestic youth champions of all UEFA member associations; previously participation was limited to the top 32 associations of the ranking list.
If a club qualify for both the Champions League path and the Domestic Champions path, they automatically participate in the Champions League path and the vacancy in the domestic path is, in principle, filled by the runners-up of the same association. In case the runners-up also qualify via the Champions League path, the vacancy is not filled.
The two paths together for the knockout phase, running from a new round of 32 in February, which will be played over one leg until the semi-final stage. The clubs ranked 1st-6th (Champions League path) will play against the clubs ranked 17th - 22nd. The clubs ranked 7th -16th will face the 10 clubs that qualify via the Domestic Champions path.
A further open draw will be held for the round of 16 onwards.
The tournament will, as before, conclude with a final four (semi-finals and final) played at a neutral venue.
WHO WILL WE PLAY IN THE UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE?
The league stage will mirror the Champions League 'league stage' but limited to the first six matchdays, with the same matches played in both competitions (three at home and three away).
That means we will play Atalanta (away), Paris Saint-Germain (home), Shakhtar Donetsk (home), Inter Milan (away), Sporting Lisbon (away) and AS Monaco (home).
The top 22 clubs will qualify for the round of 32, with the 10 teams who qualify from the Domestic Champions Path making up the remaining numbers.
WHO ARE THE CONTENDERS?
Champions League path:
England: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Spain: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atletico Madrid
Germany: Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund
Italy: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Atalanta, Bologna
France: Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Brest, Lille
Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Portugal: Sporting Lisbon, Benfica
Belgium: Club Brugge
Scotland: Celtic
Austria: Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg
Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
Switzerland: Young Boys
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Czech Republic: Sparta Prague
Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb
Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava
Domestic Champions path:
Entering in second round
Greece: Olympiakos
England: Manchester United
Spain: Real Betis
Germany: Hoffenheim
Italy: Sassuolo
France: Auxerre
Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar
Portugal: Braga
Belgium: Genk
Scotland: Aberdeen
Austria: SK Rapid
Serbia: FK IMT
Turkey: Trabzonspor
Switzerland: Basel
Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv
Czech Republic: Zbrojovka Brno
Norway: Stromsgodset
Denmark: Midtjylland
Croatia: NK Lokomotiva
Israel: Maccabi Petah Tikva
Cyprus: Pafos
Sweden: IFK Goteborg
Poland: Legia Warsaw
Hungary: Puskas Akademia
Romania: Farul Constanța
Bulgaria: CSKA Sofia
Slovakia: Trencín
Azerbaijan: Sabah
Entering in round 1
Kazakhstan: Kairat
Slovenia: Maribor
Moldova: Academia Rebeja
Kosovo: Football Club 2 Korriku
Latvia: BFC Daugavpils
Republic of Ireland: UCD FC
Finland: Honka Espoo
Lithuania: Zalgiris
Armenia: Pyunik
Belarus: Dinamo Minsk
Bosnia and Herzegovina: FK Sarajevo
Luxembourg: Progrès Niederkorn
Faroe Islands: HB
Northern Ireland: Cliftonville
Malta: Valletta
Georgia: Dinamo Tbilisi
Estonia: Tallina Kalev
Iceland: Stjarnan
Albania: Futboll Klub Bylis
Wales: The New Saints
Gibraltar: Lincoln Red Imps
North Macedonia: Brera Strumica
Andorra: Santa Coloma
Montenegro: Buduxnost Podgorica
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