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(CNN) - Soccer clubs across Europe will know what their UEFA Champions League group stage matches will be on Thursday with the draw for the inaugural round in Monaco.
The draw, at 12pm ET, will determine who the teams will face in the initial stage of the competition.
The 32 teams that have qualified are divided into four boats or wells, and one team from each boat goes to each group. Eight groups consisting of four teams are drawn.
The current Liverpool champion, who beat Tottenham in the final in Madrid in June, is in the first pit.
In that first boat is the winner of the Europa League, Chelsea, as well as the champions of the six best-ranked nations: Manchester City, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Zenit St Petersburg.
The remaining 24 teams are divided into boats of two to four according to the classification of coefficients of their club, a classification system designed by UEFA based on the previous results of a team in Europe.
No team can play against another team of its own association, which guarantees that Tottenham, for example, who is in pot two, will not face one of the other English teams in the first round.
Real Madrid, 13 times winner, is in the boat two next to the city rival, Atlético, and last season's semifinalist, Ajax, who qualified for this year's edition after beating Cypriot champion Apoel Nicosia.
The Italian team Inter Milan, champion in 2010, is in pit three, while the newcomer of the Champions League, Atalanta, is in pit four.
The draw will be broadcast live on the UEFA website, and the first round of matches will take place on September 17 and 18.
The final of this season takes place on May 30 at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.
The Europa League draw will take place on Friday.
Champions League Champions League
