Clash Between Bayern and PSG Once More - celebrations in Frankfurt
Champions League Returns with Exciting Newcomers
The UEFA Champions League 2022/23 season is set to be an exciting one, with four newcomers joining the fray. Kazakh club Qairat Almaty, Cypriot champions Pafos FC, Norwegian outsiders FK Bodø/Glimt, and Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise will all make their debuts in Europe's premier club competition.
Bayern Munich's chairman, Jan-Christian Dreesen, is already looking forward to "many magical nights" as his team prepares to face off against some of the best teams in Europe. Bayern will be playing against Chelsea FC, Club Brugge, Union Saint-Gilloise, Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal FC, PSV Eindhoven, and Cypriot newcomers Pafos FC, among others.
Each team in the group stage will receive a base prize of 18.62 million euros just for participating. Teams will also receive additional funds for their performances in the group stage. Specifically, teams will receive 2.1 million euros for each win and 700,000 euros for each draw. Bonus payments will also be made to the top eight teams, with each receiving two million euros, and to teams ranked 9th to 16th, each receiving one million euros.
The group stage of the Champions League begins on September 16-18 and ends in January, followed by the knockout rounds, culminating in the final on May 30 in Budapest. The top eight teams will qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th will play in a play-off round for progression.
Besides Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bayer Leverkusen, the clubs participating in the Champions League 2022/23 season include Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and FC Barcelona in Pot 1; Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, and Club Brugge in Pot 2; Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting, Olympiakos, Slavia Prague, Bodø/Glimt, and Marseille in Pot 3; and Copenhagen, AS Monaco, Galatasaray, Union Saint-Gilloise, Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle United, Pafos FC, Qarabağ FK, and Kairat in Pot 4.
Eintracht Frankfurt return to the Champions League after a one-year absence and will face some tough opponents, including Liverpool FC, Galatasaray Istanbul, Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta Bergamo, Barcelona, Naples, Atlético Madrid, FK Karabakh Agdam, and Leroy Sané. Frankfurt will also have a home game against Hugo Ekitike, a former Frankfurt player.
Max Eberl, Bayern's sporting director, is excited about the upcoming matches against PSG, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Liverpool FC will visit Frankfurt with Florian Wirtz, a promising young German player. Frankfurt will also have the opportunity to play against the title holders Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage.
Teams ranked 25th to 36th will have their international season ended, meaning that some teams will be watching the Champions League from the sidelines this year. The UEFA Champions League involves 36 teams, with each team playing eight games. It promises to be an exciting and unpredictable season, with many magical nights ahead for the teams and fans alike.
