A total of 72 teams from 48 UEFA member associations participated in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. Liechtenstein as well as Andorra and San Marino are not participating. Also wasn't admitted Azerbaijan, which was suspended by UEFA. Each association enters a certain number of clubs to the Champions League based on its league coefficient; associations with a higher league coefficients may enter more clubs than associations with a lower league coefficient, but no association may enter more than four teams.
Associations 1–3 each have four teams qualify.
Associations 4–6 each have three teams qualify.
Associations 7–15 each have two teams qualify.
Associations 16–52 each have one team qualify.
Association ranking
For the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2002 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1997–98 to 2001–02.
Distribution
Since the title holders also qualified for the Champions League Third qualifying round through their domestic league, one Third qualifying round spot was vacated. Due to this, as well as due to suspension of Azerbaijan, the following changes to the default access list are made:
The champions of association 16 are promoted from the second qualifying round to the third qualifying round.
The champions of associations 26, 27 and 28 are promoted from the first qualifying round to the second qualifying round.
Teams entering in this round
Teams advancing from previous round
First qualifying round
20 champions from associations 29–52
Second qualifying round
12 champions from associations 17–28
6 runners-up from associations 10–15
10 winners from the first qualifying round
Third qualifying round
7 champions from associations 10–16
3 runners-up from associations 7–9
5 third-place finishers from associations 1–6
3 fourth-place finishers from associations 1–3
14 winners from the second qualifying round
Group stage
1 current Champions League title holder
9 champions from associations 1–9
6 runners-up from associations 1–6
16 winners from the third qualifying round
Knockout phase
8 group winners from the group stage
8 group runners-up from the group stage
Teams
League positions of the previous season shown in parentheses. ;Notes
Title holders, 16 winners from the third qualifying round, 9 champions from countries ranked 1–10, and six second-placed teams from countries ranked 1–6 were drawn into eight groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advanced to the Champions League play-offs, while the third-placed teams advanced to the Third Round of the UEFA Cup. Tiebreakers, if necessary, were applied in the following order:
Points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
Total goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
Away goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
