The anticipation, buzz and reaction to the 2022-23 edition of Europe’s biggest club competition

European football has been back for a while. The Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have been running for almost three weeks. But the start of a new Champions League season, when the continent’s best clubs meet under floodlights on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, is when the term “more European Football” really comes to the fore.

And every Champions League season starts long before matchday one of the group stage. Qualifying has been going on since June, but tonight’s group draw in Istanbul is really the start of the journey for all 32 clubs involved to the final on 10 June — back here, in Turkey’s largest city.

Do you already feel the hype? Celebrate with us as we bring you all the excitement, build and bravery as UEFA sets the field for the 2022-23 Champions League.

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LIVE BLOG

16.07 CET: Before we get too carried away with the 2022/23 edition of the tournament, let’s take a moment to reflect on last season’s Champions League. UEFA has released its annual technical report on the previous season’s competition and we’ve compiled the key takeaways from all 106 pages of analysis. Read the full story.

16:00 CET: Right, we’re an hour away from the draw, which is in full swing, but let’s get this party started. Our Gab Marcotti is local in Istanbul, broadcasting every last detail so you don’t miss a moment of the big event of the day.

seagull + stadium…. pic.twitter.com/uR9aWWE9yt

— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) August 25, 2022