Manchester United will not feature in Pot 1 of the Champions League draw next season, should they quality for the prestigious competition.
Changes to the seeding system were confirmed by UEFA recently, which will see the domestic title-winning clubs handed a greater opportunity on the European stage. However, this means the Premier League has lost some status in the competition.
As Chelsea look set to collect their first Premier League title in five years, during Jose Mourinho’s first season since his return, they would be placed in Pot 1, while second and third place – which looks settled to be Arsenal and the Red Devils – will have to settle for Pot 2.
This means Louis van Gaal could be handed a tough group stage in his first opportunity of European football as Manchester United manager – which could see the Reds feature against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.
The first pot will now be made up of the domestic league winners across England, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Russia. However, should the Champions League winner also win their domestic league title, the winner of the Dutch Eredivise will also be included.
Speaking after the announcement of the changes, UEFA general secretary Gianna Infantino commented: “Football is about winning, it’s about competition, it’s about sporting merit. I think it’s kind of a natural thing to give to those who have won a competition a special treatment like this.”
Manchester United will be hoping to return to the competition after a one-year absence.
