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Who can Chelsea and Tottenham face in the Champions League group stage?

Permutations: Tottenham could face a horror draw after being placed in Pot 3: AFP/Getty Images
Permutations: Tottenham could face a horror draw after being placed in Pot 3: AFP/Getty Images

The Premier League season may be over but Chelsea and Tottenham can already start looking forward to the next campaign having secured Champions League football.

As champions, Chelsea head straight into Pot 1. They will be joined by league champions from Uefa's top seven countries, based on the 2015-16 country rankings.

With 2016-17 finalists Real Madrid and Juventus winning their respective leagues, the Pot 1 spot for the holders is given to Uefa's eighth-placed country so Ukraine champions Shakhtar Donetsk are bumped up.

Tottenham will be placed in Pot 3 after Manchester United's Europa League Final win. Further details on what needs to happen for Spurs to reach Pot 2 are here.

Pot 2 currently includes Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Porto.

Sevilla will add to that list if successful in the play-off round and Manchester United now they have won the Europa League.

Such a line-up could see Spurs drawn against Juventus, Barcelona and Roma or swap Juve for Bayern. Barcelona could make way for Borussia Dortmund. In any of the many permutations, it does not look good.

Champions League Pots

  • Pot 1: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Monaco, Spartak Moscow

  • Pot 2 (provisional): Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla*, Man City, Porto, Man United

  • Pot 3 (provisional): Napoli*, Tottenham, FC Basel, Dynamo Kiev*, Ajax*, Olympiakos*, Anderlecht, Liverpool*

  • Pot 4: Feyenoord, RB Leipzig and all other qualifying clubs

    (* denotes will enter at qualifying rounds)

Spurs will currently be joined by Basel, Anderlecht and Liverpool in Pot 3. Napoli will add to the list if they secure third place in Serie A and win in the August play-offs.

Pot 4 will definitely include Feyenoord and RB Leipzig. The Turkish champions will also be involved, along with Celtic if they navigate past the play-off round. Other likely Pot 4 participants are FC Salzburg and FC Copenhagen.