UEFA Youth League domestic champions path draw

The UEFA Youth League domestic champions path draw in Nyon set two rounds of knockout competition for 32 of the 64 contenders.

The 32 clubs that compete in the UEFA Champions League path are those that take part in this season's group stage of the senior competition, with the same fixture list. They are joined in the competition by the 32 domestic youth champions from the highest-ranked entering associations whose senior side have not qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage – these teams take part in the domestic champions path.

Where the senior side of a domestic youth champion has qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, the vacant place is filled by the domestic youth champion of the next-ranked entering association.

The domestic champions path teams compete in two rounds of two-legged knockout ties. The eventual eight second-round winners progress to the play-offs where they face the runners-up in the eight UEFA Champions League path groups. The winners of those ties progress to the round of 16 alongside the UEFA Champions League path group winners.

First round draw (14 September & 5 October)

Omonoia (CYP) vs Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Young Boys (SUI) vs Domžale (SVN)
Genk (BEL) vs Slavia Praha (CZE)
Nantes (FRA) vs Pyunik (ARM)
AZ Alkmaar (NED) vs Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
AIK (SWE) vs Racing Union (LUX)
Molde (NOR) vs Hibernian (SCO)
Coleraine (NIR) vs Pobeda (MKD)

MTK Budapest (HUN) vs Jelgava (LVA)
Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs Trenčín (SVK)
Hajduk Split (CRO) vs Gabala (AZE)
Rukh Lviv (UKR) vs Zagłębie Lubin (POL)
Ashdod (ISR) vs Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
Slavia Sofia (BUL) vs Panathinaikos (GRE)
Astana (KAZ) vs Apolonia (ALB)
Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc (ROU) vs Galatasaray (TUR)

Second round draw (26 October & 2 November)

AZ Alkmaar (NED) / Shamrock Rovers (IRL) vs Omonoia (CYP) / Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Molde (NOR) / Hibernian (SCO) vs Nantes (FRA) / Pyunik (ARM)
Young Boys (SUI) / Domžale (SVN) vs AIK (SWE) / Racing Union (LUX)
Genk (BEL) / Slavia Praha (CZE) vs Coleraine (NIR) / Pobeda (MKD)

Slavia Sofia (BUL) / Panathinaikos (GRE) vs Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) / Trenčín (SVK)
Astana (KAZ) / Apolonia (ALB) vs Hajduk Split (CRO) / Gabala (AZE)
Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc (ROU) / Galatasaray (TUR) vs Rukh Lviv (UKR) / Zagłębie Lubin (POL)
Ashdod (ISR) / Borac Banja Luka (BIH) vs MTK Budapest (HUN) / Jelgava (LVA)

The eight second-round winners will be at home to the group runners-up in the play-offsUEFA

Team guide

• Pyunik and Coleraine are the first UEFA Youth League entrants from Armenia and Northern Ireland respectively, taking the number of different associations represented at least once in the nine editions to 45.

• Nantes are the 11th different French entrants respectively, equalling Spain's record (as do Germany, with Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League path).

• Along with Coleraine, Nantes and Pyunik, there are debuts for Apolonia, Ashdod, Borac Banja Luka, Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc, Hibernian, Jelgava, Omonoia, Panathinaikos, Pobeda, Racing Union, Rukh Lviv, Shamrock Rovers, Slavia Sofia, Trenčín and Zagłębie Lubin.

Knockout dates

Play-off draw: 8 November, Nyon
Play-offs: 7/8 February
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 13 February, Nyon
Round of 16: 28 February/1 March
Quarter-finals: 14/15 March
Semi-finals: 21 April, Colovray Stadium, Nyon
Final: 24 April, Colovray Stadium, Nyon

How the draw worked

First round

• The UEFA administration grouped the teams geographically for the first round in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.
• The 32 teams were divided into four groups of eight teams (Groups 1 to 4). No teams were seeded.
• For each of the four groups, one pot was prepared with eight balls, each containing the name of one domestic champions path team.
• Starting with Group 1, the eight balls were placed in a large central bowl and shuffled.
• Two balls were drawn from the bowl. Those teams will play each other, the first team drawn playing the first match at home and the return match away.
• The previous step was repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to complete all the Group 1 pairings.
• The last three steps were then carried out for the other groups.

Second round

• The UEFA administration grouped the teams geographically in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.
• The 16 first-round pairings were divided into two groups of eight pairings (Groups A and B). No teams were seeded.
• Group A contained the pairings created in the first half of the first-round draw (teams in first-round draw Groups 1 and 2, indicated as 'Winners of match 1' to 'Winners of match 8'). Group B contained the remaining first-round pairings (teams in first-round draw Groups 3 and 4, indicated as 'Winners of match 9' to 'Winners of match 16').
• All the Group A pairings were placed in a large central bowl and shuffled.
• Two balls were drawn from the bowl. The teams that qualify from each of those pairings will play each other, the first ball drawn indicating the home team for the first leg.
• The previous step was repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to complete all the Group A pairings.
• The whole procedure was then repeated for Group B.

Participants and groupings

Group 1
Nantes (FRA)
Genk (BEL)
Omonoia (CYP)
Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Slavia Praha (CZE)
Young Boys (SUI)
Domžale (SVN)
Pyunik (ARM)

Group 2
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Hibernian (SCO)
Molde (NOR)
AIK (SWE)
Racing Union (LUX)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Pobeda (MKD)
Coleraine (NIR)

Group 3
Rukh Lviv (UKR)
Hajduk Split (CRO)
Gabala (AZE)
MTK Budapest (HUN)
Zagłębie Lubin (POL)
Trenčín (SVK)
Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
Jelgava (LVA)

Group 4
Galatasaray (TUR)
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Ashdod (ISR)
Slavia Sofia (BUL)
Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc (ROU)
Astana (KAZ)
Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
Apolonia (ALB)