UEFA to allow extra Champions League spots for top leagues

The Europa League winners will now also enter the competition in the group stage rather than needing to go through a round of qualifying.

For this season’s tournament, the twelve groups of four were drawn from four pots.

In Italy only the top two qualify automatically with third contesting a play-off, which their clubs have failed to negotiate for the last three seasons. Currently, the Europa victor can be made to qualify through the playoffs.

Matches between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are swift becoming classics.

Barca and City were drawn in Group C alongside Borussia Moenchengladbach and former European champions Celtic, with recent history clearly favouring the Catalans.

Contrasting sides in PSV Eindhoven and Rostov make up the group.

“What we can say now is that, after lobbying hard for the retention of the Champions route for Champions League qualification, the SPFL is therefore pleased that the Champions route has been protected as part of these changes. We are certainly looking forward to playing on this stage and this platform and we look forward to the games coming to Leicester”.

Apart from the odd heavyweight clash, numerous groups look predictable, a criticism that has increasingly been levelled at the competition in recent years. The other teams to qualify will be the Champions League and Europa League titleholders respectively.

But the double champions from Portugal have won only three of their last 16 ties against English teams in the competition.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain clash with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in Group A.

They are up against Basel and rank Bulgarian outsiders Ludogorets, although the Swiss have caused upsets in the past.

There is a huge gap between the fourth and fifth leagues, making it nearly assured that the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A will be the ones sending four teams to the group stage.

And Tottenham, despite having been forced to stage their home games at Wembley due to construction work at White Hart Lane, will be confident of navigating their way through a group containing CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and AS Monaco.

It was gathered that the clubs had discussed the possibility of forming a Super League, possibly even without UEFA’s authorisation.

“This is an exciting season for Leicester City and we are happy to provide easy transport options for their loyal fans to watch these special games”.

The Foxes will start as favourites to finish top of Group G after being paired with Porto, Belgium’s Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen of Denmark.