Champions League 2026/27 Draw: Inter reunions for Mourinho and Jones
Quick summary
The Champions League 2026/27 group stage draw has produced fixtures that see José Mourinho and Jones face their former club Inter.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceInter face Liverpool and Real Madrid in the Champions League, Roma get PSG, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Napoli take on Arsenal and Manchester City, while Como play Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United.
See how the draw unfolded on the Liveblog.
The format of the tournament for the third year in a row has one big table of 36 clubs, they each face eight different opponents, four at home and four away.
epa12147516 UEFA Champions League trophy on display at the Allianz Arena before the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK The top eight in the table go directly to the Round of 16, while those from ninth to 24 th will head into in a two-legged play-off round.
Notably, the winners of both previous editions Paris Saint-Germain had to go through the play-offs both times.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – MAY 30: Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy after his team’s victory in the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) The full Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times is expected on Saturday August 29, with the first games kicking off on Tuesday September 8.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 11: The UEFA Champions League trophy is cleaned as it is displayed on a plinth at the side of the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and Feyenoord at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on March 11, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Inter were top seeds in today’s draw in Monaco , with Roma in Pot 2, Napoli in Pot 3, and Como in Pot 4 for their first ever participation.
The Champions League Final is on June 5, 2027, at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – MAY 31: Referee Anthony Taylor looks on with Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of AS Roma, during the UEFA Europa League 2022/23 final match between Sevilla FC and AS Roma at Puskas Arena on May 31, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho gets a double reunion, as he will host Inter after winning the Treble on their bench in 2010, and visit his old club Roma.
Inter also face Liverpool, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk and Stuttgart at home, while they are away to Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava.
Roma are back in the Champions League after a seven-year absence, and they will also visit trophy holders PSG with their old coach Luis Enrique, Manchester United, Fenerbahce and AEK Athens.
They host Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Lille and Slovan Bratislava.
ROME, ITALY – AUGUST 24: Donyell Malen with Paulo Dybala and Wesley Franca of AS Roma celebrates during the Serie A match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on August 24, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Napoli will host Arsenal, Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt and Viking, a very good draw if you consider the difficulties of visiting clubs like Bodo and Viking on their own turf.
Max Allegri’s side visit Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City, FC Porto, Villarreal and newcomers Sabah of Azerbaijan, the most complicated trip of all.
GENOA, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on August 22, 2026 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images) Como’s Cesc Fabregas gets a trip to Barcelona’s iconic Camp Nou, where he played in midfield, Real Betis for another Spanish visit, Feyenoord and Lens.
The tiny Stadio Sinigaglia will welcome reigning Champions PSG, Manchester United, RB Leipzig and AEK Athens.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Cesc Fabregas, Head Coach of Como 1907, reacts during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Como Calcio at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Champions League draw for Italian teams Inter Liverpool (H)
Real Madrid (A)
Club Brugge (H)
Borussia Dortmund (A)
Shakhtar (H)
Feyenoord (A)
Stuttgart (H)
Slovan Bratislava (A)
Roma Real Madrid (H)
Paris Saint-Germain (A)
Sporting (H)
Manchester United (A)
Lille (H)
Fenerbahce (A)
Slovan Bratislava (H)
AEK Athens (A)
Napoli Arsenal (H)
Manchester City (A)
Club Brugge (H)
Porto (A)
Bodo/Glimt (H)
Villarreal (A)
Viking (H)
Sabah (A)
Como Paris Saint-Germain (H)
Barcelona (A)
Manchester United (H)
Real Betis (A)
Leipzig (H)
Feyenoord (A)
AEK Athens (H)
Lens (A)
Source attribution: this article content is based on the linked publisher feed/source. Chance adds independent soccer context, impact analysis, entity links, and related news.
What happened
UEFA's Champions League 2026/27 draw has set up emotionally charged fixtures for Inter Milan, whose former coach José Mourinho and former player Jones will both face the Nerazzurri with their current clubs. The matchups add a compelling narrative layer to the group/league phase, as both figures return to face an Inter side that has undergone significant changes since their departures. The draw sets the stage for a season of high-profile encounters in Europe's top club competition.
Chance analysis
The Champions League draw rarely fails to manufacture storylines, and the 2026/27 edition has delivered one with an Inter-centric thread running through it. Mourinho's managerial journey has taken him across multiple top European clubs, and a return to face Inter — where he famously completed the treble in 2009/10 — always carries extra weight. The reunion narrative adds intrigue to the league phase, where every club's eight opponents will shape the path to the knockout rounds. For Inter fans, the prospect of welcoming back familiar faces will be among the most anticipated moments of the group stage.
Inter face emotionally significant fixtures against former coach Mourinho and former player Jones in the Champions League 2026/27 league phase.