Champions League 2023-24 group stage draw – live

Turn this up loud to get you in the mood.

Today’s Football Daily is out and about, with focus on Rangers’ abject failure to qualify for this Big Cup draw. PSV pulverised them to earn the right to finish third in any given group.

An email from Krishna as we prepare for that 5pm ‘start time’:

Good evening Dominic. 10 years ago Barcelona was the team to avoid. Then it evolved into a tournament where 32 teams compete and Real Madrid wins. Will the recent run by the English clubs sway the momentum in the favour of the Premier League?

Good question. I would suggest substituting Premier League with Manchester City and you’d be close.

Three things before we get into the nuts and bolts of things:

• The first is obvious; that 5pm BST start is a pipe dream. These draws never, ever start on time, so there’s that.

• It’s also worth restating that, as well as the Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4 dictating today’s draw, no team can be drawn in the same group as another side from their own association.

• Also, the Uefa men’s and women’s players and coaches of the year will be presented during today’s ceremony in Monaco, as well as the Uefa President’s Award, which is going to Miroslav Klose.

Here’s Nick Ames’ scene-setter from Monte Carlo, as a maelstrom of controversy surrounds Uefa with the Luis Rubiales saga showing little sign of relenting.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of today’s Champions League group stage draw. There’s plenty of subtext today’s event beyond the usual intrigue: not least how it’s been overshadowed by the current scandal engulfing one of Uefa’s vice-presidents, Luis Rubiales who faces calls to resign after the Women’s World Cup controversy; then there’s the plain fact that this will be the final Champions League group stage draw in this format – it’s expanding to 36 teams in one big group from 2024 onwards. With the final qualifiers having been decided earlier in the week, we’re all set for the grand ceremony in Monte Carlo from 5pm BST.