The six non-English teams in Pot 1 of the Champions League draw will all have to be given fixtures against two Premier League clubs in the league phase next season.
England will have six teams in the competition next season -- Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea by league position, then Newcastle United in fifth, and Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur.
Competition rules state that "teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other and each team may play against a maximum of two opponents from any other one association."
This rule can still be upheld if there is no more than three teams from England in one pot.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City are confirmed to be in Pot 1, with Arsenal in Pot 2. Spurs are likely to be in Pot 3 and Newcastle in Pot 4.
However, for both conditions to be met, the six non-English teams in Pot 1 -- Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid -- must play two games against clubs from the Premier League.
This does not affect the English directly, as have to be drawn against two teams from Pot 1. However, it does potentially negatively impact the difficulty of the fixtures for those non-English clubs in Pot 1, some of which will be forced to take Arsenal, Spurs or Newcastle from Pots 2, 3 and 4 to avoid deadlocking the draw.
As an example, Barcelona may have to take Newcastle as one of their two teams from Pot 4, rather than Red Star Belgrade, Ferencvaros or Galatasaray.
Likewise, there may be no option but for Real Madrid to face Spurs from Pot 3, when Olympiacos, Slavia Prague and Bodo/Glimt would be available.
As another example, if Barcelona were to get Bayern Munich and Inter from Pot 1. They would then have to get two of Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle to satisfy the two English clubs constraint.
English clubs' collective performance in Europe this season has far outweighed that of any other league, leading to the extra place in the Champions League (along with LaLiga).
Of last season's Champions League Pot 1 seeds, Real Madrid played one English club (Liverpool); Bayern were drawn to face Villa; Inter and PSG both took on Man City and Arsenal; RB Leipzig met Villa and Liverpool; Barcelona and Dortmund did not play a Premier League club. Of the eight matches, the non-English clubs recorded two wins, a draw and five losses.
This is how it works:
• The three English clubs in Pot 1 must play six matches against teams from Pot 1, but they cannot play each other.
• This gives the six non-English teams in Pot 1 six games vs. English teams.
• Arsenal must then be drawn against two teams from Pot 1. They cannot play English teams. This makes the total games vs. English clubs eight.
• Spurs must then be drawn against two teams from Pot 1. They cannot play English teams. This makes the total games vs. English clubs 10.
• Newcastle must then be drawn against two teams from Pot 1. They cannot play English teams. This makes the total games vs. English clubs 12.
• This guarantees the six non-English teams in Pot 1 play 12 games, two each, vs. English teams.
While UEFA has yet to fully confirm the draw conditions for the 2025-26 season, this is the only way they could keep to the usual regulations.
If Arsenal had also been in Pot 1, making it four English clubs, UEFA would have had to modify its draw conditions and allow English clubs to play one game against each other in the league phase.
The draw for the group stage takes place on Thursday, Aug. 28.