Chelsea have finally been granted a place among the Champions League's top eight seeds. The former Premiership champions have missed out before now having failed to amass enough "coefficient" points.
But Uefa have installed Jose Mourinho's side among the top seeds, meaning they will be handed a supposedly easier group stage draw in the coming season.
AC Milan, winners in Athens last month, are top seeds (133.808 points) followed by Barcelona (119.374), Liverpool (112.618) and Inter Milan (107.808).
Arsenal are England's second-highest seeds with 104.618 followed by new Spanish champions Real Madrid (104.374), Chelsea (99.618) and Manchester United (also 99.618).
Seedings are based on the clubs' performances in Europe over the preceding five years as well as the ranking of their national association.
Therefore Champions League debutants Sevilla, although not among the eight, have a relatively high ranking score due largely to their double Uefa Cup triumphs over the last two years.
Chelsea have been drawn with Barcelona in the group phase twice in the last three years because the Catalan side have been seeded. Their new status, however, means they will avoid Barca and other top teams until the knockout phase.
England is the only country to have all of their teams seeded for the tournament, which climaxes with the final in Moscow in May.
The draw for the Champions League qualifying rounds will take place on Friday June 29th.
Meanwhile, Nigeria have suspended Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel indefinitely from international matches after the player missed their African Nations Cup qualifier in Uganda earlier this month, citing injury, the Nigerian FA said yesterday.
The 20-year-old, who was left out of the Nigeria squad for the match against Niger last week, also failed to report to camp for an Under-23 Olympics qualifier against Ghana.
"The senior team coach says he does not need Mikel now and the under-23 team coach has also said he does not need him," NFA spokesman Demola Olajire said.
"How long he stays out of both teams would depend on the coaches. His exclusion has to do with acts of indiscipline on his part," Olajire said.
Mikel stayed away from the game against Uganda in Kampala on June 3rd, citing a hamstring injury, an excuse which the NFA rejected.
The FA said the player should be examined by Nigerian team doctors to ascertain the veracity of his injury.
It is not the first time the youngster has been caught up in controversy. Just over two years ago Manchester United claimed to have signed him from Lyn Oslo in Norway, but after a protracted affair which involved Fifa, he finally joined Chelsea last year.
