French champions Paris Saint-Germain will start their quest for Champions League glory with ties against Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United while Ligue 1 runners-up Lens will test their mettle in the group stages against Arsenal, Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven.
Shortly after Thursday night's draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Lens released a video on social media to celebrate their involvement after a 21-year absence from the tournament.
Trois grands classiques de la symphonie européenne 💫 au programme du Racing !#UCLDraw #UCL pic.twitter.com/7QJcMmLBC1
— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) August 31, 2023
Defending champions Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Crevna Zvezda and the Swiss outfit Young Boys.
Inter Milan, last year's beaten finalists, will face Benfica, Salzburg and Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid – the most successful club in the 67-year history of competition with 14 titles – will begin their hunt for a 15th crown against the Italian champions Napoli as well as Braga and debutants Union Berlin.
Like Lens, Newcastle United, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, have not played in the Champions League for just over two decades.
The #UCL group stage draw has been made!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 31, 2023
We have been drawn in Group F and will face:
🇫🇷 PSG
🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
🇮🇹 AC Milan
Howay the Lads! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/rJGzUFBlZ2
The opening round of games will be played on 19 and 20 September.
The draw at the Grimaldi Forum took place against a backdrop of a scandal involving Luis Rubiales, the head of trhe Spanish federation and also a vice president of Uefa which organises the tournament.
Normally Rubiales would be among the cluster of the glad-handing administrators and power brokers. But the 46-year-old was suspended by world football's governing body Fifa for kissing the Spanish player Jenni Hermoso just after her side had beaten England to win the World Cup on 20 August.
Challenge
In the Uefa awards ceremony just after the draw, Sarina Wiegman, boss of the England women's team, was anointed coach of the year.
After accepting the accolade, the 53-year-old Dutchwoman paid tribute to the side that robbed her players of the trophy.
"We all know the issues around the Spain team and it really hurts me as a coach, a mother and a daughter. I'd like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team, who played such good football.
"This team deserves to be celebrated and listened to."
After winning the Uefa women's players of the yearm Spain's Aitana Bonmati, said: "Football is going through a difficult time at the moment.
"Spain have just won the World Cup but no one is talking about it because of what has happened. It's something that I would have preferred to avoid.
"I would have preferred to go back over our achievement but we cannot continue to accept abuses of power in a professional context. I'd like to say to Jenni and to all women who are victims – we are with you and I hope that we can work together so that society improves."
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who was deemed Uefa men's player of the year, stood by solemnly holding his award as Bonmati made her call for social justice.
