Fixtures and Infos: UEFA Champions League Season 2008/09

Livetipsportal.com provides you with the fixtures and important information about the UEFA Champions League, like the UEFA-Country Ranking, the UEFA-coefficients, Access list and the seeding of the teams in the qualifying rounds and the group stage of the football Champions League 2008/2009.

The actual season: the first two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League are played. Some prominent clubs already had to say goodbye from the competition. The last year's UEFA Cup finalist Glasgow Rangers failed in the 2nd qualifying round with the result of 1:2 against the Lithuanian champion FBK Kaunas. Also eliminated: Belgium vice champion RSC Anderlecht (3:4 against BATE Borisow from Belarus) and Austrian record champion Rapid Vienna (3:4 against Anorthosis Famagusta from Cyprus).

The fixtures of the 3rd qualifying round: 12./13. August (first leg) and 26./27. August (second leg). The losers of the 3rd qualifying round are entitled to play in the first round of the current UEFA Cup.

The group stage starts on the 16th of September and ends on the 10th of December. Seeded are the 9 champions from countries ranked 1-9 of the UEFA-five-year country ranking, the 6 second-placed teams from countries ranked 1-6 and the defending cup holder. If the cup holder already qualified directly for the group stage, the champion of the 10th country on the five-year ranking will get this place in the group stage. This season Manchester United already qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League and therefore Celtic Glasgow (Scottish champion) gains direct access to the group stage.

After ending of the group stage the knockout phase starts. First knockout round: 24./25. February 2009 and 10./11. March 2009. Fixtures of the quater-finals: 07./08. April 2009 bzw. 14./15. April 2009. Fixtures of the semi-finals: 28./29. April 2009 and 05./06. May. The final is decided by a single match which this year will be played in Rome on the 27th of May 2009.

Fixtures of the UEFA Champions League 2008/09:

First qualifying round, 1st leg: 15./16.07.2008
First qualifying round, 2nd leg: 22./23.07.2008
Second qualifying round, 1st leg: 29./30.07.2008
Second qualifying round, 2nd leg: 05./06.08.2008
Third qualifying round, 1st leg: 12./13.08.2008
Third qualifying round, 2nd leg: 26./27.08.2008
Group stage, Matchday 1: 16./17.09.2008
Group stage, Matchday 2: 30.09/01.10.2008
Group stage, Matchday 3: 21./22.10.2008
Group stage, Matchday 4: 04./05.11.2008
Group stage, Matchday 5: 25./26.11.2008
Group stage, Matchday 6: 09./10.12.2008
First knockout round, 1st leg: 24./25.02.2009
First knockout round, 2nd leg: 10./11.03.2009
Quarter-finals, 1st leg: 07./08.04.2009
Quarter-finals, 2nd leg: 14./15.04.2009
Semi-finals, 1st leg: 28./29.04.2009
Semi-finals, 2nd leg: 05./06.05.2009
Final (Rome, Italy): 27.05.2009

Which teams start in which phase of the UEFA football Champions League?

First qualifying round: 30 champions from countries ranked 23 or lower

Second qualifying round: 28 teams
15 winners from first qualifying round
7 champions from countries ranked 16-22
6 second-placed teams from countries ranked 10-15

Third qualifying round: 32 teams
14 winners from second qualifying round
6 champions from countries ranked 10-15
3 second-placed teams from countries ranked 7-9
6 third-placed teams from countries ranked 1-6
3 fourth-placed teams from countries ranked 1-3

Group stage: 8 groups of 4 teams
16 winners from 3rd qualifying round
9 champions from countries ranked 1-9
6 second-placed teams from countries ranked 1-6
1 defending cup holder

Knockout phase: 16 teams
8 winners and 8 group second-placed teams from group stage play in knockout modus the first knockout round, the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final.

UEFA-five-year country ranking for season 2008/09 (Access list):

1. Spain 76.891
2. England 68.540
3. Italy 66.088
4. France 53.656
5. Germany 44.364
6. Portugal 42.749
7. Romania 40.165
8. Netherlands 39.379
9. Russia 36.125
10. Scotland 30.500
11. Ukraine 29.475
12. Belgium 29.075
13. Czech Republic 26.825
14. Turkey 26.641
15. Greece 25.497
16. Bulgaria 24.582
17. Switzerland 23.850
18. Norway 19.725
19. Israel 19.208
20. Serbia 18.958
21. Denmark 18.575
22. Austria 18.500
23. Poland 17.000
24. Hungary 14.165
25. Slovakia 10.832
26. Croatia 10.708
27. Cyprus 10.582
28. Sweden 10.541
29. Slovenia 9.915
30. Bosnia-Herzegovina 9.665
31. Latvia 8.664
32. Lithuania 7.332
33. Finland 7.331
34. Moldova 7.166
35. Ireland 6.498
36. Georgia 6.164
37. Liechtenstein 6.000
38. Macedonia 5.831
39. Iceland 4.999
40. Belarus 4.665
41. Albania 3.832
42. Estonia 3.665
43. Armenia 3.498
44. Azerbaijan 3.166
45. Kazakhstan 2.332
46. Northern Ireland 2.165
47. Wales 1.998
48. Faroe Islands 1.665
49. Luxembourg 1.665
50. Malta 1.665
51. Andorra 0.000
52. San Marino 0.000
53. Montenegro 0.000

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