Cristiano Ronaldo attended the UEFA Champions League draw in Monaco as an official guest of European football's governing body on Thursday evening.
The five time winner of Europe's premier club competition was invited by UEFA to participate in the ceremony, which marked the formal launch of the new tournament format.
Ronaldo was photographed posing with the iconic Champions League trophy, which he has lifted five times during his distinguished career.
UEFA officially announced the Portuguese star's involvement prior to the event, and Ronaldo expressed his excitement about returning to the annual European gala.
Champions League opponents confirmed for AEK Athens
The draw revealed the eight opponents for AEK Athens in the main phase of the tournament. The Greek club will face Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Como, and LASK.
The fixtures create several compelling matchups for the Greek side, including games where AEK player Tzolis will come up against Karetsas and Konstantelias. In addition, both AEK Athens and English side Arsenal were drawn against German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.
Panathinaikos secure Conference League spot in late drama
Panathinaikos sealed their place in the Conference League phase following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Czech side Hradec Kralove. Cyriel Dessers converted a penalty in the 125th minute of the match to secure qualification.
Following their victory, Panathinaikos will be placed in the second seeding pot for the upcoming Conference League draw. However, the match was marred by off-field incidents, with Panathinaikos filing an official complaint to UEFA regarding an attack on player Giorgos Kyriakopoulos.
OFI Crete make history as PAOK suffer European exit
OFI Crete recorded a landmark achievement by securing qualification for the Europa League phase. The Cretan club earned a 2-0 victory away against CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria to complete a sweep of two wins in the qualifying round.
Following the win, OFI head coach Kontis praised the performance of his players, stating that the team had delivered a display that anyone would envy watching. OFI will take their place in Pot 4 for the Europa League draw.
It was a contrasting night for PAOK, who suffered an early exit from European football in August after a 3-2 defeat away to Norwegian club Brann. Following the match, Lisi disputed the decisive goal, stating that there was no penalty in the play leading to Brann's third goal.
Olympiacos seeded in Pot 1 and European round-up
Olympiacos confirmed their position in Pot 1 for the Europa League draw. The Piraeus club also advanced squad developments as player Pedersen arrived in Athens to finalize his transfer and sign with the team.
The night completed the broader landscape for Greek clubs in European competition, with AEK competing in the Champions League, Olympiacos and OFI in the Europa League, and Panathinaikos in the Conference League.
In other European action, young Greek forward Kostoulas starred for Premier League side Brighton, scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 4-0 win over Norwegian side Tromso to book their place in the Conference League phase.
In domestic league action in Spain, Barcelona earned a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga, maintaining a perfect record with two wins from two matches. Reflecting on recent displays, head coach Nistrup stated that his team had shown character while noting that several areas still required improvement.
In basketball news, AEK confirmed that head coach Dragan Sakota has agreed to an extension that will keep him at the helm of the club until 2030.
