Soccer
Why new Champions League rule means we won't see Liverpool vs Real Madrid in 2026-27 league phase
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With the domestic season underway, attention turns to the European competition this week as the draw is made for the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League.
The league format is now in its third season and will once again see 36 teams compete across eight matchdays to try and progress to the competition's knockout rounds.
One of the draws of the latest format is seeing some of Europe's biggest names clash right at the first stage of the campaign.
The 36 names are drawn in four pots, with each team facing two sides from Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4, and usually this means any match-up is fair game.
However, under a new UEFA ruling this season, one clash we won't see is Liverpool hosting Real Madrid or Inter Milan hosting Arsenal.
This is due to a ruling stating that the same tie between the same sides cannot be played in three consecutive Champions League seasons.
The ruling states, 'UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.'
'The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026-27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
'This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024-25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025-26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026-27 season.'
Yet, as outlined in the ruling, there is still a possibility that the games could be reversed. Therefore, Liverpool could travel to Spain to play Madrid and Arsenal could have their turn to host Inter.
A trip to the Bernabéu would see a Reds reunion for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate if the two teams were drawn together again, while Madrid would be looking for revenge having lost the last two games at Anfield.
For Arsenal, this means they could face the Italian champions at home, following two seasons in a row where they've played Inter at the San Siro. In 2024, they were beaten 1-0 by the Nerazzurri, but last season they turned the tables on the Italians with a 3-1 win.
How to watch the Champions League on DAZN in Canada and New Zealand
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