Holders Chelsea and their rivals among Europe’s elite will discover their opponents in this season’s UEFA Champions League when the draw for the group stage is made in Istanbul on Thursday from 6pm.
The Turkish metropolis has missed out on hosting the final of the competition in each of the last two seasons, with restrictions relating to the pandemic seeing the game moved at the last minute to Portugal in successive years.
Chelsea therefore beat Manchester City in Porto in May and those two powerhouses of English football – who have flexed their financial muscle in the market over the summer – will be among the favourites to go all the way this season.
“Nobody wants to rest. I want the next one, the next title,” Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said after winning the trophy.