Every year the Champions League throws up ever more interesting stories and mouth-watering clashes, but the 2016-17 competition really does look like it could be the best for many a year. As well as the usual heavyweights setting their sights on the final – to be played at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on June 3, there are several new kids on the block who will be looking to upset the football apple cart, and make history.
There are also a couple of big names missing; Jose Mourinho's Manchester United being probably the biggest of the lot. So who is in the pot, what is their Champions League pedigree, and who is likely to be having their name etched onto the famous trophy next summer?
Barcelona
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| How many times have they won the competition? | - 5 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 3 |
| Last time they won | - 2015 |
| Last year | - Quarter Finals |
The Catalan giants will - as is usually the case - start as favourites to lift the trophy. Whether that is based on anything other than that they are Barcelona and they have Messi, Suarez and Neymar (at the time of writing at least) is open to debate. Whatever happens when the transfer window shuts though, the current La Liga champions will be keen to add some European silverware to their bulging trophy cabinet. Despite the disappointment of last year's quarter-final exit to an Antoine Griezmann-inspired Atletico Madrid, it is hard to write them off from reaching the last four at the very least.
Real Madrid
| How many times have they won the competition? | - 11 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 3 |
| Last time they won | - 2016 |
| Last year | - Winners |
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Like their great rivals, it is hard to think that Real won't have a major say in who is successful this year round. The current holders, and most successful club in the competition's history, will be looking to strengthen their already formidable squad, and are likely to be the most active of all the big players in the transfer market this summer. And of course, they have Ronaldo. Whatever else, there is no doubt that the Portuguese No.7 loves the Champions League. He has reached double figures in the competition in each of the last five seasons, scoring 16 last year. He is also the Champions League all-time scorer with 80 goals.
Bayern Munich
| How many times have they won the competition? | - 5 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 5 |
| Last time they won | - 2013 |
| Last year | - Semi-finals |
The winners of the Bundesliga a record breaking 26 times, are entering what could be a turbulent period with the departure of Pep Guardiola. With Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, and talk of an overhaul of the squad, it will be fascinating how they fare, especially after losing out to Atletico on away goals last time out. It is teams like Bayern who will be particularly aware of the newbies coming up behind them, desperate to make a name for themselves in the world's premier club competition.
Manchester City
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| How many times have they won the competition? | - 0 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 0 |
| Last time they won | - n/a |
| Last year | - Semi-finals |
The epitome of the newly-moneyed clubs knocking on the door, Man City will feel that they have undergone their apprenticeship in the competition, and with Pep taking over have a very real chance of at least going one better and making it to Cardiff. The biggest question will be how quickly Guardiola settles into his new home, but this is a competition he knows well, which is seen as the final piece of the jigsaw for the club's owners. It may take a season or two for the Spaniard to get to grips with the Premier League, so there is a very real chance he will make the Champions League his number one priority.
PSG
| How many times have they won the competition? | - 0 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 0 |
| Last time they won | - n/a |
| Last year | - Quarter-finals |
The French club are perhaps a couple of years behind Manchester City in their Champions League development. The main two problems they have however is that firstly they struggle keeping their major stars for more than a season or two, which makes it hard for them to develop a settled core. The other is the lack of competitive football on a weekly basis. This means that when it comes to the latter stages, when the team are taken to dark places, they are more often than not found wanting. That said, they will once again have a formidable 15 or 16 players to choose from, and they will be used to winning football matches which is never a bad thing.
Juventus
| How many times have they won the competition? | - 2 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 6 |
| Last time they won | - 1996 |
| Last year | - Last 32 |
The Serie A champions can never be discounted, and will consider themselves unlucky to go out before the quarters last season. The Turin outfit have secured the services of Miralem Pjanic, but we wait to see if that will make up for the loss of Pogba. A good bet for the last eight, but they may not have enough quality when it matters.
Arsenal
| How many times have they won the competition? | - 0 |
| How many times have they been runners up? | - 1 |
| Last time they won | - n/a |
| Last year | - Last 32 |
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With the usual rumours circulating regarding the future of Arsene Wenger, how many more chances will both he and the North London club have at the Champions League? There is evidence that Wenger is willing to roll the dice this transfer market, so with the Premier League becoming harder and harder to win every year, this may well be his last shot at the big hoorah.
The Best of the Rest
The Spanish duo of Sevilla and Atletico Madrid will both be confident of making an impression in the competition this year. Sevilla will be there courtesy of their Europa League triumph last season – a competition they have won three years in a row, so their cup pedigree cannot be dismissed out of hand. Whether they can translate that form to the undeniably much higher level will be something we await to see. Atletico on the other hand, have no such doubts, after losing out in the final to their city rivals on penalties last time they will be looking to go one better.
Two of the remaining teams that will cause a large amount of interest this year will be Leicester and Tottenham. Leicester's first taste of dining at the biggest table in European football will depend massively on how much of the title winning team they can keep hold of, while the biggest test for Spurs will be the gruelling nature of attempting to compete in both the Champions League and the Premier League, something that cannot be over emphasized.
Whoever comes out on top in June, there are two things that are certain. First, the journey to the Welsh capital will be littered with shocks, heartbreak and ecstasy, and secondly, we will be with it every single step of the way.
