UEFA have confirmed the specific dates for the 2022/23 Champions League rounds, with the Qatar World Cup set to have an impact on planning for next season.
The tournament is the first in history to take place midway through a European campaign as FIFA made the decision for it to be played across November and December. Domestic and continental competitions are, of course, set to be halted during the winter spectacle.
UEFA had to bear this in mind as they finalised the dates for the 2022/23 edition of the Champions League, with just a slight tweak to proceedings. As per European football's governing body, the first group-stage fixtures will be played on September 6 or 7 - a week earlier than usual - with the second round of matches scheduled for a fortnight after.
Group fixtures will run up until November 1 and 2 - almost a month earlier than a regular season. The final matches of the group stage did not take place until early December during last season.
As has become customary, the Champions League will then take a mid-season break - this time taking into account the World Cup - before knockout fixtures will be begin. The round of 16 will be played across the week commencing the 14 and 21 February, with the return legs scheduled for the week commencing the 7 and 14 March.
Quarter-final ties will be played on 11/12 April and 18/19 April, with the last-four fixtures taking place under a month later across 9/10 May and 16/17 May. The final is scheduled slightly later this time round on 10 June 2023 and will take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
Who are your favourites for the 2022 World Cup and 2022/23 Champions League? Have your say in the comments below.
Real Madrid will be hoping to defend the crown that they secured for the 14th time against Liverpool in Paris in late May. In the meantime, the Premier League has four representatives ahead of the new campaign.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all secured their place in the competition with ease, whilst Antonio Conte’s Tottenham returned to the top table of European football on the final day of the season with an emphatic victory against relegated Norwich.
Following the final of the World Cup on December 18, the English top flight will return to action in time for the traditional Boxing Day fixtures. Whilst the calendar for the Premier League is not yet known, supporters do not have to wait too long to find out.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022/23 campaign will be released on Thursday, June 16 and are expected to be made public at 9am.
