2021–22 UEFA Champions League
Tournament details | |
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Dates | Qualifying: 22 June – 25 August 2021 Competition proper: 14 September 2021 – 28 May 2022 |
Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 80 (from 54 associations) |
Final positions | |
Champions | Real Madrid (14th title) |
Runners-up | Liverpool |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 125 |
Goals scored | 380 (3.04 per match) |
Attendance | 4,402,255 (35,218 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) 15 goals |
Best player(s) | Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)[1] |
Best young player | Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)[2] |
The 2021–22 UEFA Champions League was the 67th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 30th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1–0 in the final, which was played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, for a record-extending 14th European Cup title, and their fifth in nine years.[3] It was originally scheduled to be played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.[4] However, due to the postponement and relocation of the 2020 final, the hosts were shifted back a year, with Saint Petersburg scheduled to host the 2022 final.[5] Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine which commenced in February 2022, the final was eventually moved to Saint-Denis.[4] As the winners, Real Madrid automatically qualified for the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League group stage, as well as earning the right to play against the winners of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League, Eintracht Frankfurt, in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup and participate in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, both of which they went on to win.
Chelsea were the defending champions, but they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Real Madrid.
This season was the first since 1999–2000 (the first season after the dissolution of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup) where three major European club competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and the newly created UEFA Europa Conference League) are organised by UEFA. No changes were made to the format of the Champions League, but teams that were eliminated from the preliminary round and first qualifying round of the Champions League were now transferred to the Europa Conference League instead of the Europa League.[6]
On 24 June 2021, UEFA approved the proposal to abolish the away goals rule in all UEFA club competitions, which had been used since 1965. Accordingly, if in a two-legged tie two teams scored the same number of aggregate goals, the winner of the tie would not be decided by the number of away goals scored by each team but always by 30 minutes of extra time, and if the two teams scored the same number of goals in extra time, the winner would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.[7]
Association team allocation
A total of 80 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League (the exception being Liechtenstein,[Note LIE] which did not organise a domestic league). The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[8]
- Associations 1–4 each had four teams qualify.
- Associations 5–6 each had three teams qualify.
- Associations 7–15 each had two teams qualify.
- Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE] each had one team qualify.
- The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League and 2020–21 UEFA Europa League were each given an additional entry if they did not qualify for the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League through their own domestic league. (As Chelsea, the Champions League title holders, did qualify through their own domestic league this season, the additional entry for the Champions League title holders was re-allocated.)
Association ranking
For the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2020 UEFA association coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2015–16 to 2019–20.[9]
Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:
- (UEL) – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders
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Distribution
The following is the access list for this season.
- The champions of association 11 (Turkey) enter the group stage instead of the play-off round (Champions Path).
- The champions of association 13 (Denmark) enter the play-off round instead of the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
- The champions of association 15 (Czech Republic) enter the third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round (Champions Path).
- The champions of associations 18 (Greece) and 19 (Serbia) enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round (Champions Path).
Teams entering in this round | Teams advancing from previous round | ||
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Preliminary round (4 teams) |
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First qualifying round (32 teams) |
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Second qualifying round (26 teams) |
Champions Path (20 teams) |
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League Path (6 teams) |
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Third qualifying round (20 teams) |
Champions Path (12 teams) |
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League Path (8 teams) |
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Play-off round (12 teams) |
Champions Path (8 teams) |
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League Path (4 teams) |
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Group stage (32 teams) |
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Knockout phase (16 teams) |
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Teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- TH: Champions League title holders
- EL: Europa League title holders
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season
- Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe as determined by the national association; all teams were subject to approval by UEFA as per the guidelines for entry to European competitions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round were divided into Champions Path (CH) and League Path (LP).
CC: 2021 UEFA club coefficients.[12]
Notes
- Valur (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Iceland.[13]
Schedule
All matches were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays apart from the preliminary round final, which was played on a Friday, and the final, which was played on a Saturday. The third qualifying round second legs were only played on a Tuesday due to the 2021 UEFA Super Cup on the following Wednesday. Scheduled kick-off times starting from the play-off round were 18:45 (instead of 18:55 previously) and 21:00 CEST/CET.[17]
All draws were held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, except the group stage draw, which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on 26 August 2021.[18]
Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
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Qualifying | Preliminary round | 8 June 2021 | 22 June 2021 (semi-finals) | 25 June 2021 (final) |
First qualifying round | 15 June 2021 | 6–7 July 2021 | 13–14 July 2021 | |
Second qualifying round | 16 June 2021 | 20–21 July 2021 | 27–28 July 2021 | |
Third qualifying round | 19 July 2021 | 3–4 August 2021 | 10 August 2021 | |
Play-offs | Play-off round | 2 August 2021 | 17–18 August 2021 | 24–25 August 2021 |
Group stage | Matchday 1 | 26 August 2021 | 14–15 September 2021 | |
Matchday 2 | 28–29 September 2021 | |||
Matchday 3 | 19–20 October 2021 | |||
Matchday 4 | 2–3 November 2021 | |||
Matchday 5 | 23–24 November 2021 | |||
Matchday 6 | 7–8 December 2021 | |||
Knockout phase | Round of 16 | 13 December 2021 | 15–16 & 22–23 February 2022 | 8–9 & 15–16 March 2022 |
Quarter-finals | 18 March 2022 | 5–6 April 2022 | 12–13 April 2022 | |
Semi-finals | 26–27 April 2022 | 3–4 May 2022 | ||
Final | 28 May 2022 at Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
Qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
The draw for the preliminary round was held on 8 June 2021, 12:00 CEST.[20] The preliminary round matches, which consisted of two semi-finals on 22 June 2021 and the final on 25 June 2021, were originally to be played at Gundadalur, Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands,[21] but were moved due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Faroe Islands.[22] The matches were instead played in Albania, with the semi-finals at Elbasan Arena, Elbasan and Niko Dovana Stadium, Durrës, and the final at Elbasan Arena.[23]
The winner of the preliminary round final advanced to the first qualifying round. The losers of the semi-finals and final were transferred to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
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0–2 | Prishtina | |
HB Tórshavn | 0–1 | Inter Club d'Escaldes |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
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Prishtina | 2–0 | Inter Club d'Escaldes |
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 15 June 2021, 12:00 CEST.[24] The first legs were played on 6 and 7 July, and the second legs were played on 13 and 14 July 2021.
The winners of the ties advanced to the Champions Path second qualifying round. The losers were transferred to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Fola Esch | 2–7 | Lincoln Red Imps | 2–2 | 0–5 |
Slovan Bratislava | 3–2[A] | Shamrock Rovers | 2–0 | 1–2 |
Malmö FF | 2–1 | Riga | 1–0 | 1–1 |
Bodø/Glimt | 2–5 | Legia Warsaw | 2–3 | 0–2 |
Connah's Quay Nomads | 2–3 | Alashkert | 2–2 | a.e.t. )
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HJK | 7–1 | Budućnost Podgorica | 3–1 | 4–0 |
CFR Cluj | 4–3 | Borac Banja Luka | 3–1 | a.e.t. )
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Shkëndija | 0–6 | Mura | 0–1 | 0–5 |
Teuta | 0–5 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 0–4 | 0–1 |
Dinamo Tbilisi | 2–4 | Neftçi Baku | 1–2 | 1–2 |
Maccabi Haifa | 1–3 | Kairat | 1–1 | 0–2 |
Ludogorets Razgrad | 2–0 | Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Ferencváros | 6–1 | Prishtina | 3–0 | 3–1 |
Žalgiris | 5–2 | Linfield | 3–1 | 2–1 |
Flora | 5–0 | Hibernians | 2–0 | 3–0 |
Dinamo Zagreb | 5–2 | Valur | 3–2 | 2–0 |
Notes
- ^ Losers drawn to receive a bye to the Europa Conference League third qualifying round.
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 16 June 2021, 12:00 CEST.[25] The first legs were played on 20 and 21 July, and the second legs were played on 27 and 28 July 2021.
The winners of the ties advanced to the third qualifying round of their respective path. The Champions Path losers were transferred to the Europa League Champions Path third qualifying round, while the League Path losers were transferred to the Europa League Main Path third qualifying round.
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Dinamo Zagreb | 3–0 | Omonia | 2–0 | 1–0 |
Slovan Bratislava | 2–3 | Young Boys | 0–0 | 2–3 |
Legia Warsaw | 3–1 | Flora | 2–1 | 1–0 |
Alashkert | 1–4 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 0–1 | 1–3 |
Olympiacos | 2–0 | Neftçi Baku | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Kairat | 2–6 | Red Star Belgrade | 2–1 | 0–5 |
Lincoln Red Imps | 1–4 | CFR Cluj | 1–2 | 0–2 |
Malmö FF | 4–3 | HJK | 2–1 | 2–2 |
Ferencváros | 5–1 | Žalgiris | 2–0 | 3–1 |
Mura | 1–3 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 0–0 | 1–3 |
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Rapid Wien | 2–3 | Sparta Prague | 2–1 | 0–2 |
Celtic | 2–3 | Midtjylland | 1–1 | a.e.t. )
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PSV Eindhoven | 7–2 | Galatasaray | 5–1 | 2–1 |
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 19 July 2021, 12:00 CEST.[26] The first legs were played on 3 and 4 August, and the second legs were played on 10 August 2021.
The winners of the ties advanced to the play-off round of their respective path. The Champions Path losers were transferred to the Europa League play-off round, while the League Path losers were transferred to the Europa League group stage.
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Dinamo Zagreb | 2–1 | Legia Warsaw | 1–1 | 1–0 |
CFR Cluj | 2–4 | Young Boys | 1–1 | 1–3 |
Olympiacos | 3–3 (1–4 p) | Ludogorets Razgrad | 1–1 | a.e.t. )
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Red Star Belgrade | 1–2 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 1–1 | 0–1 |
Malmö FF | 4–2 | Rangers | 2–1 | 2–1 |
Ferencváros | 2–1 | Slavia Prague | 2–0 | 0–1 |
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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PSV Eindhoven | 4–0 | Midtjylland | 3–0 | 1–0 |
Spartak Moscow | 0–4 | Benfica | 0–2 | 0–2 |
Genk | 2–4 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 1–2 | 1–2 |
Sparta Prague | 1–5 | Monaco | 0–2 | 1–3 |
Play-off round
The draw for the play-off round was held on 2 August 2021, 12:00 CEST.[27] The first legs were played on 17 and 18 August, and the second legs were played on 24 and 25 August 2021.
The winners of the ties advanced to the group stage. The losers were transferred to the Europa League group stage.
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Red Bull Salzburg | 4–2 | Brøndby | 2–1 | 2–1 |
Young Boys | 6–4 | Ferencváros | 3–2 | 3–2 |
Malmö FF | 3–2 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 2–0 | 1–2 |
Sheriff Tiraspol | 3–0 | Dinamo Zagreb | 3–0 | 0–0 |
Team 1 | Agg.
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Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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Monaco | 2–3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 0–1 | a.e.t. )
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Benfica | 2–1 | PSV Eindhoven | 2–1 | 0–0 |