Arsenal discovered their Champions League group phase opponents during yesterday's draw but next season, they will be blocked from facing one particular team away from home
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta is looking to fire Arsenal to Champions League glory this season
View 2 Images
Arsenal will not be able to face Slavia Prague away in the Champions League group phase next season due to a new UEFA rule.
The Gunners are due to travel to Prague for the second consecutive season to face the Czechs, who they beat 3-0 resoundingly last November.
The rule, Paragraph 16.03 of the competition regulations, means clubs cannot play each other with the same home team in three consecutive Champions League campaigns.
That same rule actually prevented the Premier League champions from being drawn away to Inter Milan (who they faced in 2024-25 and 2025-26) in yesterday's draw in Monaco.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
It reads: "UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.
"The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
"This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season."
Bukayo Saka netted for Arsenal in Prague
Arsenal won 3-0 at Slavia Prague last November(Image: (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))
View 2 Images
Liverpool were also denied the chance to host Real Madrid again at Anfield. In any case, Arsenal would still be able to draw Slavia at the Emirates Stadium next season.
The Gunners were paired with Real Madrid (H) and Bayern Munich (A) from Pot 1 while they will also host Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Sabah from Azerbaijan.
Trips to Napoli, Real Betis and Slavia conclude Arsenal's group phase campaign which is set to begin on the week commencing September 7.
Arsenal are looking to go one better in Europe this season after falling short in the Champions League final last year, losing to PSG on penalty kicks in Budapest.