The draw for UEFA tournaments will now be conducted by computer. The change is due to the new format of the Champions League and Europa League. Since these competitions now consist of one league stage with 36 participants, conducting a traditional draw would require more than a thousand balls on stage and would take four hours.
On the 29th, when the draw for the Champions League takes place, where Sporting and Benfica will meet their opponents, and the following day for the Europa League, in the presence of Porto, cups with balls will be drawn for each basket – there are four, with nine teams (see infographic) – but only to determine the order in which each club knows its opponents. Then it is the software, verified by an external organization, that will create the pairs. The draw will last 35 minutes.
Teams from the same federation cannot play each other, and each participant can only play two clubs from the same country. The order of the eight games will be announced later, on the 31st of this month.
Author: Joao Moniz
Source: CM Jornal
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