Inter Milan to face two English clubs in Champions League

With six Premier League teams in the next Champions League, UEFA rules ensure Inter Milan will face at least two of them in the expanded group phase

The spotlight is now on the Champions League final on May 31. 

This Saturday in Munich, Inter Milan will have a golden opportunity to claim their fourth Champions League title by beating PSG.

It would be a historic feat, especially in the inaugural season of the new competition format.

The Champions League has expanded to 36 teams, and next season will see an unprecedented six English clubs participating. This will significantly impact the massive draw of the initial stage, which features a single 36-team league table.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle all qualified through Premier League standings, while Tottenham joined them after winning the Europa League.

Why Inter Milan’s draw Is shaped by the presence of six English Clubs

So what changes with the draw? As highlighted by Calcio e Finanza via Fcinter1908.it, UEFA regulations state that "teams from the same federation cannot be drawn against each other and each team can face a maximum of two opponents from the same federation."

This rule means Inter Milan will definitely face two English sides in their eight group-stage games.

Why exactly must Inter Milan face two English clubs? Calcio e Finanza explains:

"There are 12 matches to be assigned among six non-English first-seed teams (since three English teams — Chelsea, Liverpool, and City — are top seeds).

Each of these non-English teams must be paired with two English clubs to meet the rule of a maximum of two matches against clubs from the same country.

Thus, every non-English team in the first pot, including Inter Milan, must play against two English clubs.

Interestingly, Inter Milan also faced two English teams — Arsenal and Manchester City — in the 2024/25 group stage, but those pairings were random. This time, the draw is mathematically constrained.