Champions League league phase draw: Pot 4

UEFA.com analyses the nine teams who are in Pot 4 for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League league phase draw.

The 1981/82 winners Aston Villa, 2003/04 runners-up Monaco and two maiden entrants feature in a fresh-faced final pot for the new-look stage.

UEFA coefficient rankings as at end of the 2023/24 season.

Slovan Bratislava (SVK)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 61
How they qualified: Slovakian champions, play-off winners (W4-3agg vs Midtjylland)
Last season: Third qualifying round, Europa League play-offs, Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs
Best European Cup performance: Round of 16 (1956/57, 1970/71, 1992/93)

2023/24 season
Slovan Bratislava won a sixth successive Slovak title (their fourth in a row under current boss Vladimír Weiss) but were eliminated in the Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs and the quarter-finals of the Slovak Cup.

Monaco (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 73
How they qualified: Second in France
Last season: Not in European competition
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2003/04)

2023/24 season
A highly impressive campaign for Adi Hütter's side, with Wissam Ben Yedder's goals and a solid defence helping them finish runners-up in Ligue 1. Although they were knocked out of the French Cup by third-tier Rouen in the round of 16, Monaco fans won't mind too much after Champions League football was secured for the first time since 2018/19.

Sparta Praha (CZE)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 77
How they qualified: Czech champions, play-off winners (W4-0agg vs Malmö)
Last season: Third qualifying round, Europa League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1965/66, 1967/68, 1984/85)

2023/24 season
Sparta were no match for Liverpool in the Europa League round of 16, but they retained their Czech title under Brian Priske and made it a double by lifting the Czech Cup.

Aston Villa (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 81
How they qualified: Fourth in England
Last season: Europa Conference League semi-finals
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1981/82)

2023/24 season
Villa enjoyed their highest league finish for 28 years, claiming a place in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 1982/83 in the process. Their fine start to the season was propelled by a commanding home record before the turn of the year, Unai Emery's side claiming 28 points from their first 30 available at Villa Park. Early domestic cup exits did not overshadow their impressive run from the play-offs to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Olympiacos.

Bologna (ITA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: N/A
How they qualified: Fifth in Italy (European Performance Spot)
Last season: Not in European competition
Best European Cup performance: Preliminary round (1964/65)

2023/24 season
The Rossoblù clinched Champions League qualification for the very first time after a highly impressive domestic campaign ended with a fifth-placed finish in Serie A. Despite last season's top scorer Joshua Zirkzee departing for Manchester United and coach Thiago Motta making a switch to Juventus this summer, there will be great optimism that Bologna can continue to punch above their weight as they look forward to a new adventure in Europe.

Girona (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: N/A
How they qualified: Third in Spain
Last season: Not in European competition
Best European Cup performance: First appearance

2023/24 season
An incredible start to the season turned little-fancied Girona into genuine title challengers as they stormed to the top of the La Liga table. Their form dipped from February onwards, but Míchel's team did enough to secure Champions League qualification for the first time, their place sealed via a sweet 4-2 victory against local rivals Barcelona at Estadi Montilivi on 4 May. They were defeated by eventual finalists Mallorca in the Spanish Cup quarter-finals.

Stuttgart (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking: N/A
How they qualified: Second in Germany
Last season: Not in European competition
Best European Cup performance: Round of 16 (2003/04, 2009/10)

2023/24 season
Not since the title-winning campaign of 2006/07 had Stuttgart enjoyed a more successful season, and they even leapfrogged Bayern into second place on the final day. So impressive were their performances that five Stuttgart players were called up to Germany's preliminary squad for UEFA EURO 2024: Alexander Nübel, Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Waldemar Anton and Deniz Undav.

Sturm Graz (AUT)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 105
How they qualified: Austrian champions
Last season: Third qualifying round, Europa League group stage, Europa Conference League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Second group stage (2000/01)

2023/24 season
Sturm earned their first Austrian Bundesliga title since 2010/11, topping the play-offs after finishing runners-up to Salzburg in the regular season. They also beat Rapid Wien in the Austrian Cup final to complete a domestic double, though they exited the Europa Conference League in the round of 16 following defeat by Lille, having transferred to the competition after finishing third in their Europa League group.

Brest (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: N/A
How they qualified: Third in France
Last season: Not in European competition
Best European Cup performance: First appearance

2023/24 season
It was a historic campaign for Brest, who claimed a surprise third-placed finish in France's Ligue 1 just five years after being promoted while also qualifying for their maiden appearance in any European competition. French midfielders Romain Del Castillo and Mahdi Camara were particularly impactful, notching eight and seven goals respectively in the league, and Les Pirates will fancy causing a shock or two as an unknown quantity in the Champions League.