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UEFA Champions League 2015/16: in depth

UEFA.com analyses the entrants for the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League – a lineup that includes plenty of newcomers and Real Madrid CF, who have set three records.

Real Madrid are back for a record 19th consecutive campaign
Real Madrid are back for a record 19th consecutive campaign ©AFP/Getty Images

Records
• FC Barcelona, FC Porto and Real Madrid CF will be the first teams to figure in 20 UEFA Champions League group campaigns.
• Madrid appear for the 19th consecutive season, moving one ahead of a record they shared with Manchester United FC.
• If Valencia CF win their play-off, Spain will be the first nation to have five clubs in the same group stage.
• VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach will be the 11th different German side to compete, one more than France and behind only Spain on 13.
Real Madrid's coefficient of 171.999 is the highest ever recorded in the present system (introduced 1999).

Former European Cup winners in group stage
Real Madrid CF (10)
FC Bayern München (5)
FC Barcelona (5)
Juventus (2)
SL Benfica (2)
FC Porto (2)
Chelsea FC (1)
PSV Eindhoven (1)

Former European Cup winners in qualifying
AFC Ajax (4)
Manchester United FC (3)
Celtic FC (1)
FC Steaua București (1)

Other UEFA Cup /UEFA Europa League (UEL) or European Cup Winners' Cup (CWC) winners in group stage
Sevilla FC (4 UEL)
Club Atlético de Madrid (2 UEL, 1 CWC)
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach (2 UEL)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (2 CWC)
Arsenal FC (1 CWC)
Galatasaray AŞ (1 UEL)
FC Zenit (1 UEL)
Paris Saint-Germain (1 CWC)

Other UEFA Cup /UEFA Europa League (UEL) or European Cup Winners' Cup (CWC) winners in qualifying
Valencia CF (1 UEL, 1 CWC)
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (1 UEL)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (1 CWC)

Teams returning to group stage from 2014/15 (15)
Real Madrid CF (20th entry, 19th consecutive entry)
FC Barcelona (20, 13)
FC Porto (20, 5)
FC Bayern München (19, 8)
Arsenal FC (18, 18)
Olympiacos FC (17, 5)
Juventus (16, 4)
Chelsea FC (14, 13)
Galatasaray AŞ (14, 4)
SL Benfica (11, 6)
AS Roma (9, 2)
Paris Saint-Germain (8, 4)
FC Zenit (6, 5)
Club Atlético de Madrid (6, 3)
Manchester City FC (5, 5)

Malmö hope for another group bid
Malmö hope for another group bid©AFP/Getty Images

Teams that could return to group stage from 2014/15 (12)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Sporting Clube de Portugal, FC Basel 1893, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, AFC Ajax, PFC CSKA Moskva, AS Monaco FC, FC BATE Borisov, PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, Malmö FF, APOEL FC, NK Maribor

Teams that cannot return to group stage from 2014/15 (5)
RSC Anderlecht, Athletic Club, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool FC, FC Schalke 04

Teams confirmed as making their group stage debut
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, KAA Gent

Teams making their European Cup debut
FC Midtjylland, Stjarnan, FC Milsami Orhei, FC Astana, FK AS Trenčín, FC Dila Gori

Teams in second qualifying round who have previously progressed from there to group stage
FC BATE Borisov (2008/09, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15), Debreceni VSC (2009/10), FK Partizan (2010/11), APOEL FC (2009/10, 2011/12), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (2011/12, 2012/13), Celtic FC (2013/14), FC Steaua București (2013/14), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (2014/15), Malmö FF (2014/15), NK Maribor (2014/15)

Lincoln are back again
Lincoln are back again©Christian Correa

Clubs who could be their nation's first group stage representatives
Qarabağ FK (AZE)*, KF Skënderbeu (ALB), FK Sarajevo (BIH), FK Ventspils (LVA)*, FC Dila Gori (GEO)*, FK Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU), FC Astana (KAZ)*, FC Milsami Orhei (MDA)*, FK Rudar Pljevlja (MNE), FK Vardar (MKD), Stjarnan (ISL), CS Fola Esch (LUX), Dundalk FC (IRL)*, Hibernians FC (MLT), The New Saints FC (WAL), FC Levadia Tallinn (EST), FC Pyunik (ARM), FC Santa Coloma (AND), Crusaders FC (NIR), B36 Tórshavn (FRO), Lincoln FC (GIB), SS Folgore (SMR)

*Country has had team in UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League group stage

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