Post by Taxigirl on Aug 26, 2004 9:32:30 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3600392.stm
Arsenal and Manchester United will avoid Spanish opposition in Thursday's Champions League draw, which is due to take place at 1500 BST in Monaco.
Both clubs are among the leading seeds and retained their spots among the top-eight sides, despite a revamp of Uefa's seeding system.
Porto, Real Madrid, Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are the other top seeds.
Chelsea and Liverpool are in the pot of second seeds and Celtic in the third.
Premiership champions Arsenal have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of the Champions League but boss Arsene Wenger insists that retaining the domestic title is still the club's main aim.
"The Champions League is a cup system," said Wenger. "You should not over-rate its importance - a good side should win their domestic championship first."
This season, Uefa's ranking system gives more weight to an individual club's performances in Europe and concentrates less on how clubs have fared overall.
Liverpool, for instance, were among the top seeds in the 2002-2003 Champions League but have slipped in the rankings because they have only featured in the Champions League twice in the last five years.
The Champions League draw takes place at 1500 BST on Thursday
Arsenal and Manchester United will avoid Spanish opposition in Thursday's Champions League draw, which is due to take place at 1500 BST in Monaco.
Both clubs are among the leading seeds and retained their spots among the top-eight sides, despite a revamp of Uefa's seeding system.
Porto, Real Madrid, Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are the other top seeds.
Chelsea and Liverpool are in the pot of second seeds and Celtic in the third.
Premiership champions Arsenal have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of the Champions League but boss Arsene Wenger insists that retaining the domestic title is still the club's main aim.
"The Champions League is a cup system," said Wenger. "You should not over-rate its importance - a good side should win their domestic championship first."
This season, Uefa's ranking system gives more weight to an individual club's performances in Europe and concentrates less on how clubs have fared overall.
Liverpool, for instance, were among the top seeds in the 2002-2003 Champions League but have slipped in the rankings because they have only featured in the Champions League twice in the last five years.
The Champions League draw takes place at 1500 BST on Thursday