All about our opponents in the Champions League!

A draw for the Champions League was held today in Monaco. A new format in which 36 teams compete for the cup with big ears will ensure unprecedented excitement. Read all about our opponents here!

Manchester City - POT 1 (away)

Manchester City is one of the most successful clubs of the past decade. The club won the Premier League 10 times and in 2023 captured the Champions League for the first time in its history. Belgians Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are currently part of the squad, while Geert De Vlieger and Dedryck Boyata played for the Citizens in the past. Club Brugge has competed against Manchester City twice before in the Champions League. Captain Hans Vanaken was able to score in the away match against Man City, scoring a goal for the fifth Champions League match in a row.

Borussia Dortmund - POT 1 (Home)

Borussia Dortmund, losing finalist in the 2024 Champions League, is an experienced opponent with 19 appearances in the tournament. The German club has played Club Brugge eight times before and won the Champions League in 1997. Well-known former Dortmund players include Ivan Perisic and Thomas Meunier. The "Gelbe Wand," the famous yellow wall of supporters, makes for an atmospheric Signal Iduna Park.

Juventus - POT 2 (Home)

Juventus have already crowned themselves Serie A champions 36 times and won the Champions League/Europacup I twice. The club from Turin captured the Italian Cup last season and finished second in Serie A. Former Club NXT player Samuel Mbangula made his debut for the Old Lady this season.

AC Milan - POT 2 (Away)

AC Milan, which plays in the iconic San Siro stadium, has been Serie A champions 19 times and won the Champions League/Europacup I seven times. The club has already faced Club Brugge three times: in the 1975/76, 1990/91 and 2002/03 seasons. In the latter year, Mendoza scored a wonderful goal at San Siro. Familiar names such as Jean-Pierre Papin, Carlos Bacca and Charles De Ketelaere previously played for AC Milan. Not only did AC Milan, like Blue-Black, become national champions 19 times, the Rossoneri also share their stadium with city rival Inter Milan.

Sporting - POT 3 (Home)

Sporting Lisbon, 20-time champions of Portugal, crowned themselves national champions again in 2024. Blue-Black and Sporting CP already met in the 1967/68 season. With Zeno Debast, Os Leões have a Belgian defending the club colors. Former Sporting players like Bas Dost and Robert Spehar have a rich history with the club. This encounter also brings an interesting duel between two Swedish strikers: Gustaf Nilsson for Club Brugge and Viktor Gyökeres for Sporting.

Celtic - POT 3 (Away)

Celtic, the Scottish superpower, has won the national championship no less than 54 times and the cup 42 times. Last season, Celtic managed to win both the title and the cup. Former Club Brugge players such as Boli Bolingoli, Joos Valgaeren, Jack Hendry and Dedryck Boyata have also played for Celtic. Celtic is a regular in the Champions League and managed to advance to the next round three times. In the knockout phase, rivals AC Milan, Barcelona and Juventus proved too strong each time.

Aston Villa - POT 4 (Home)

Aston Villa, based in Birmingham and known for the popular Peaky Blinders series, has won the English league seven times and the European Cup I once in 1982, when the most prestigious European club competition was still called the European Cup I. In 2024, Villa finished fourth in the Premier League and, like Club Brugge, reached the semifinals of the Conference League. Former players of the club include Bosko Balaban, Bjorn Engels, Wesley Moraes and Marvelous Nakamba.

Sturm Graz - POT 4 (Out)

Sturm Graz, the 2024 Austrian champion and cup winner, has participated in the Champions League four times before and won the Austrian title four times. Sturm Graz is known in the Austrian league for its dynamic 4-4-2 formation with a diamond in midfield and a fast pace of play. After ten consecutive national titles by Red Bull Salzburg, Sturm Graz brought an end to that dominance last season. The club also won the Austrian Cup 7 times.