Real Madrid will face Roma in the group stage of the 2026–27 Champions League following the draw made on 27 August. Emilio Butragueno, the club's director of institutional relations, has outlined the scale of the challenge ahead under the new league-phase format. Roma's return to the competition will pit them against one of Europe's biggest sides.
Butragueno acknowledged the intensity of matches at this level, particularly the Olimpico fixture. He stressed the demanding nature of the new format, in which teams compete against all opponents rather than in traditional groups. "The format is particularly demanding because, unlike before, we now compete against everyone. This forces us to treat practically every match as a final, because the objective is to finish in the top eight, ideally the top four, which would guarantee us the home-field advantage through to the end," he said. Roma will be seeking points from their opening matches to build confidence for the run-in.
Butragueno added: "This must be our horizon, and also, if possible, to avoid playing the preliminary knockout round, which weighs more heavily on the calendar because it involves two very intense matches with the risk of being eliminated from the competition. It is fundamental to start earning points from the first matches, so that the squad gains the confidence necessary to finish among the best." Real Madrid aim to secure a top-four finish and avoid the preliminary elimination stage that would place additional strain on their fixture schedule.
Story Coverage7 sources on this story
Roma have been drawn to face Real Madrid in the Champions League league phase, with the fixture to take place at the Olimpico. Emilio Butragueno, Real Madrid's director of institutional relations, has warned of the scale of the challenge ahead under the competition's new format. Both outlets emphasize that the revamped structure—in which teams compete against all opponents rather than in traditional groups—fundamentally changes how sides must approach their campaign.
Butragueno stressed that the new format is "particularly demanding" and forces clubs to treat practically every match as a final. He explained that Real Madrid's objective is to finish in the top eight, ideally the top four, which would guarantee home-field advantage through to the end of the competition. Both Roma News and Forza Roma quote Butragueno emphasizing the importance of earning points early to build squad confidence. Forza Roma adds specific detail about avoiding the preliminary knockout round, which Butragueno describes as placing additional strain on the fixture calendar because it involves two intense matches with elimination risk. He underlined that accumulating points from opening matches is fundamental to positioning Roma to finish among Europe's elite while navigating what he acknowledged as an exceptionally demanding new competitive structure.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Ci sarà il Real Madrid sulla strada della Roma nel ritorno in Champions League. Si attendevano le possibili reazioni di José Mourinho sul sorteggio suggestivo e romantico che lo riporterà all'Olimpico, ma dai Blancos ecco invece le parole di Emilio Butragueno, direttore delle relazioni…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
