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Champions League: Europe’s premier club competition to be restructured for 2018/19 season

Elsewhere, holders and 11-times champions Real Madrid renew their recent rivalry with Borussia Dortmund.

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Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri will tell his players they will realise their dreams once they hear the Champions League music.

Marchetti said that four places in the group stage, compared to five at present, would be set aside for the national champions of smaller countries who have to play their way through a qualifying competition.

From the 2018 season, a Champions League groups slot will be guaranteed to the previous season’s Europa League winners.

The group also features PSV Eindhoven and Russian league runners-up Rostov who are also group-stage debutantes.

“We were in the semi-final last season and we want to be there again”.

“However, we will monitor this issue and these changes very closely and pledge to continue to fight to protect the best interests of Scottish football in the wider European and global context”.

“It’s hard but attractive”.

“They have evolved over time in terms of their playing culture and of course they have become an institution. It is an fantastic competition, an incredible group”.

“We and Atletico are the group favourites, but we mustn’t underestimate the others at all”. He also mentioned that a 24-team group stage was discussed, but ultimately scrapped.

Messi’s Barcelona side have been drawn alongside Brendan Rodgers’ men in the group-stages of the Champions League after the Bhoys just managed to see off Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the play-off round this week.

Moreover, prize money will be “increased significantly” for both the Champions League and Europa League.

The first group games will take place on 15 September, with the group stage culminating on 16 December.

Considerably less than Group B but it’s still 42,682 laps around the Friends Arena pitch – the venue for this year’s UEFA Europa League Final in Stockholm.

Group A: PSG, Arsenal, Basel, Ludogorets.

Group E: CSKA Moscow (Russia), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Tottenham (England), Monaco (France).

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Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw should give Real few problems, though Dortmund will certainly be a tough proposition. They are conscious of a growing financial gap between themselves and English clubs following the Premier League’s bumper £9bn television deal.

Caltex Socceroo set to face Barcelona and Pep's City