Champions League Draw: Schedule and Key Dates
The anticipation is building as the Champions League quarter-finals draw near. On Saturday, 1 June, the final will take place at the iconic Wembley Stadium, marking the culmination of an exhilarating season. With no seeding and no country protection from this phase onwards, the possibility of two teams from the same nation going head-to-head in the last-eight ties is a thrilling prospect.
Mark your calendars for Friday, 15 March, as UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland will be buzzing with excitement. The draws for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all take place at 11:00 GMT. Football fans around the world can follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website, ensuring they don’t miss a single detail.
In a unique twist, the draw for the finals will be purely administrative. Its purpose is to determine which team will be listed as the ‘home’ side. The quarter-finals and semi-finals in all three competitions – Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League – are played over two legs, with each team getting a chance to showcase their skills both at home and away.
Let’s take a look at the teams that have made it to the Champions League quarter-finals. Arsenal and Manchester City represent England, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid fly the flag for Spain, while Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund showcase German talent. Completing the lineup is Paris St-Germain from France. These elite clubs will battle it out for a shot at European glory.
Meanwhile, the Europa League quarter-finals feature AC Milan and Atalanta from Italy, Bayer Leverkusen from Germany, Benfica from Portugal, Liverpool from England, Marseille from France, Roma from Italy, and West Ham from England. It’s an exciting mix of teams ready to demonstrate their prowess on the European stage.
In the Europa Conference League quarter-finals, Aston Villa from England, Club Bruges from Belgium, Fenerbahce from Turkey, Fiorentina from Italy, Lille from France, Olympiakos and PAOK from Greece, and Viktoria Plzen from the Czech Republic will compete for a spot in the next round.
Now that we know the teams, let’s move on to the schedule. The Champions League quarter-final first legs will take place over 9-10 April, with the second legs scheduled for 16-17 April. The semi-final first legs are set for 30 April and 1 May, followed by the second legs on 7-8 May. The road to the final promises to be full of suspense and drama.
In the Europa League and Europa Conference League, the quarter-final first legs will be held on 11 April, with the second legs taking place a week later. The semi-finals will kick off on 2 May, with the second legs on 9 May. These matches are sure to deliver thrilling encounters as teams fight for a chance at silverware.
For those planning to attend the Champions League final, mark your calendars for Saturday, 1 June. Wembley Stadium will once again become the center of European football as the best of the best battle it out for glory.
As for the Europa League final, it will take place at the Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, 22 May. The winners of this prestigious tournament will earn a place in the league phase of the following season’s Champions League if they have not already qualified through their domestic competition.
Lastly, the Europa Conference League final will be held at the AEK Arena in Athens, Greece on Wednesday, 29 May. The victorious team will secure a spot in the league phase of the 2024-25 Europa League, provided they have not already qualified for the Champions League through their domestic league.
With all these key dates and thrilling matchups ahead, football fans around the world can look forward to a summer filled with excitement and drama. The road to glory begins now, and only the best will emerge victorious. Let the games begin!