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Monaco set for group stage draw

The lineup has been completed for Thursday's UEFA Champions League group stage draw, taking place at 17.45CET at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, with 14 former winners involved.

Monaco set for group stage draw
Monaco set for group stage draw ©Getty Images

The lineup for the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage is complete and will feature no fewer than 14 previous winners of Europe's premier club competition while FK Austria Wien will make their debut.

Eleven of the past champions were among the 22 automatic entrants, a number subsequently swelled by the progress of AC Milan, FC Steaua Bucureşti and Celtic FC through this week's ten play-off ties. For the draw, which takes place from 17.45CET on Thursday at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum, the 32 contenders have been split into four seeding pots (based on club coefficients), with each of the eight groups to contain one team from each tier.

No club can meet a side from their own association and the draw procedure will be explained during the ceremony, which also includes the presentation of the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

Holders FC Bayern München lead the top tier of seeds, all of whom have lifted the trophy apart from 2005/06 runners-up Arsenal FC, and are bidding to become the first team to defend the European Cup since AC Milan, victors in 1989 and 1990. The Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica will stage the final on 24 May 2014 and SL Benfica will hope to reach the showpiece in their own stadium while fellow Portuguese club FC Porto will also be looking to reach the final in their home country.

English champions Manchester United FC are making a record 19th UEFA Champions League appearance in the competition's 22nd edition, one more than FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and FC Porto. In contrast, Austria Wien are involved for the first time, taking the number of clubs to have featured in the group stage to 128.

Twenty-one of the teams who were involved in last season's group stage are back, with Celtic, Milan and FC Zenit booking their returns on Wednesday night after Arsenal FC and FC Schalke 04 did likewise the previous evening.

Austria aside, Real Sociedad de Fútbol have endured the longest wait for a UEFA Champions League return; not only have they not featured in the competition since reaching the round of 16 in 2003/04 – when they lost to the team they beat in this season's play-offs, Olympique Lyonnais – this is also their first European campaign since then.

In total, clubs from 18 different national associations will play in the group stage, with England, Spain and Germany the best represented with a quartet of teams.

Full calendar

Club
RouteLast inYears**2012/13***Best****
Pot 1
FC Bayern MünchenHolders2012/1316WinnersWinners
x 5
FC BarcelonaChampions, Spain2012/1317Semi-finalsWinners
x 4
Chelsea FCThird place, England2012/1311UEL, winners*Winners
x 1
Real Madrid CFRunners-up, Spain2012/1317Semi-finalsWinners
x 9
Manchester United FCChampions, England2012/1318Round of 16Winners
x 3
Arsenal FCFourth place, England2012/1315Round of 16Runners-up x1
FC PortoChampions, Portugal2012/1317Round of 16Winners
x 2
SL BenficaRunners-up, Portugal2012/138UEL, runners-up*Winners
x 2
Pot 2
Club Atlético de MadridThird place, Spain2009/103UEL, round of 32Runners-up x 1
FC Shakhtar DonetskChampions, Ukraine2012/138Round of 16Quarter-finals
AC MilanThird place,
Italy
2012/1316Round of 16Winners
x 7
FC Schalke 04Fourth place, Germany2012/135Round of 16Semi-finals
Olympique de MarseilleRunners-up, France2011/128UEL, group stageWinners
x 1
PFC CSKA MoskvaChampions, Russia2011/126UEL, play-offsQuarter-finals
Paris Saint-Germain FCChampions, France2012/135Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
JuventusChampions,
Italy
2012/1313Quarter-finalsWinners
x 2
Pot 3
FC ZenitRunners-up, Russia2012/133UEL, round of 16*Round of 16
Manchester City FCRunners-up, England2012/132Group stageGroup stage
AFC AjaxChampions, Netherlands2012/1311UEL, round of 32Winners
x 4
Borussia DortmundRunners-up, Germany2012/136Runners-upWinners
x 1
FC Basel 1893Champions, Switzerland2011/124UEL, semi-finalsLast 16
Olympiacos FCChampions, Greece2012/1314UEL, Round of 32*Quarter-finals
Galatasaray AŞChampions, Turkey2012/1311Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
Bayer 04 LeverkusenThird place, Germany2011/127UEL, Round of 32Runners-up x 1
Pot 4
FC KøbenhavnChampions, Denmark2010/112UEL, group stageRound of 16
SSC NapoliRunners-up,
Italy
2011/121UEL, round of 32Round of 16
RSC AnderlechtChampions, Belgium2012/139Group stageSemi-finals
Celtic FCChampions, Scotland2012/137Round of 16Winners
x 1
FC Steaua
Bucureşti
Champions, Romania2008/096UEL, round of 16Winners
x 1
FC Viktoria PlzeňChampions, Czech Republic2011/121UEL, round of 16Group stage
Real Sociedad de FútbolFourth place, Spain2003/041N/ASemi-finals
FK Austria WienChampions, AustriaN/A0Did not participateSemi-finals

*Finished third in UEFA Champions League group
**Past group stage appearances not including 2013/14
***UEFA Champions League unless stated
****Includes pre-1992 European Champion Clubs' Cup
UEL = UEFA Europa League