The Euro picture for next season

WITH the 2009-10 version of the UEFA Champions League coming to a close at the Bernabeu with Inter defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 on Saturday night, here is a look at who could be the top contenders in next season’s competition.

Twenty-two teams have automatically qualified for the group stage.

Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Inter, Roma, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Schalke, Marseille, Lyon, Bursaspor, Rangers, Rubin Kazan, Spartak Moscow, Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Twente, CFR Cluj, Benfica, Panathinaikos.

Joining these 22 will be 10 teams from the play-off round.

In the play-off round, there is a group for champions and non-champions.

Out of the champions play-off round, there are endless possibilities and most likely none of those five teams will even make the Europa League out of third place in the group.

The round to watch is the non-champions play-off round, which contains Tottenham, Sevilla, Auxerre, Werder Bremen, and Sampdoria,

These five will have to face tough opponents from a group of 10 teams that includes Zenit, Celtic, Ajax, Braga, Fenerbahce, Dinamo Kiev, Unirea Urziceni, PAOK, Young Boys, and Gent.