A total of 76 teams will participate in the 2008-09 Champions League, from 52 UEFA associations (Liechtenstein organises no domestic league competition). Countries are allocated places according to their UEFA league co-efficient. The title holder entry is not used since Manchester United qualified for the group stage as the Premier League (Association 2) champions.
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2008-09 Champions League:
Associations 1-3 (Spain, England, and Italy) each have four teams qualify
Associations 4-6 (France, Germany, and Portugal) each have three teams qualify
Associations 7-15 (Romania, Netherlands, Russia, Scotland, Ukraine, Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Greece) each have two teams qualify
Associations 16-53 (except Liechtenstein) each have one team qualify
First qualifying round: (28 teams)
28 champions from associations 25-53
Second qualifying round: (28 teams)
14 winners from the first qualifying round
8 champions from associations 17-24 (Switzerland, Norway, Israel, Serbia, Denmark, Austria, Poland and Hungary)
6 runners-up from associations 10-15
Third qualifying round: (32 teams)
14 winners from the second qualifying round
6 champions from associations 11-16
3 runners-up from associations 7-9 (the Netherlands enter the winners of a series of play-off games rather than the runners-up automatically qualifying)
On 4 June2008, a decision was taken to exclude Portuguese champions Porto from this year's competition, after the club was found guilty of bribing referees in the Portuguese Liga during the 2003-04 season.[2] As a result, Vitória Guimarães were promoted from the 3rd qualifying round to the group stage and Benfica from the UEFA Cup into the 3rd qualifying round. However, after Porto appealed the decision, the decision was deferred by UEFA's Appeals Body back to the Control & Disciplinary Body for re-assessment.[3] The meeting to re-assess the situation took place on 16 June2008, with the decision being reversed and Porto being allowed back into the 2008-09 Champions League. The decision was taken due to Porto's disciplinary process in Portugal not yet being complete.[4]
Bulgarian champions CSKA Sofia will be excluded from the tournament having failed to secure a UEFA licence due to the club being in debt to various government bodies and creditors.[5]Levski Sofia will take their place in the 3rd qualifying round.
Round and draw dates
The calendar shows the dates of the rounds and draw.
In the draw for the first qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients. The lower pot contained the 14 teams from associations 40-53: none of these teams had a team ranking.
Two of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Inter Baku (Azerbaijan, country rank 42) beat Rabotnički (Macedonia, 36); and BATE (Belarus, 40) beat Valur (Iceland, 37).
In the draw for the second qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients. The higher pot contained teams ranked 166 or higher: so each tie contained exactly one team ranked in the top 166.
Three of the 14 ties were won by the lower ranked team: Kaunas (unranked, coefficient 2.640) beat Rangers (ranked 24, coefficient 66.013); BATE (unranked, 1.760) beat Anderlecht (56, 41.810); and Anorthosis Famagusta (ranked 193) beat Rapid Wien (ranked 166).
In the draw for the third qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients. The higher pot contained teams ranked 61 or higher. However, the draw was held before the second qualifying round was played, which meant that Kaunas and BATE effectively moved into the higher pot, replacing the teams they eliminated.
Based on paragraph 4.05 in the UEFA regulations for the current season, if two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings:
higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
superior goal difference from all group matches played;
higher number of goals scored in all group matches played;
higher number of coefficient points accumulated by the club in question, as well as its association, over the previous five seasons.
Dinamo Zagreb
Artmedia Petržalka
NSÍ Runavík
Kaunas
IFK Göteborg
Ventspils
Pyunik Yerevan
Rabotnički
Budućnost
Domžale
Modriča
Sheriff Tiraspol
Levadia
Valur
Partizan
Rapid Wien
Basel
Sparta Prague
Dynamo Kyiv
Wisła Kraków
MTK Hungária
Atlético Madrid
Liverpool
Marseille
Steaua Bucureşti
