Romania are guaranteed a presence in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage as they reap the rewards for impressive progress in European club competition in recent seasons.

FC Steaua Bucureşti picked up five points in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage before transferring to the UEFA Cup, where they were beaten by eventual winners Sevilla FC in the last 32. FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti also reached that stage of the latter competition, losing to SL Benfica, and although Romania failed to replicate their achievement of getting two teams to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals as in 2005/06, those campaigns further boosted the country's coefficient.

The Romanian Liga 1 champions, CFR 1907 Cluj, will therefore take their place in the UEFA Champions League group stage, with runners-up Steaua Bucureşti lining up in the third qualifying round. Greece enjoyed a similar entry for 2007/08 but champions Olympiacos CFP will have to come through qualifying if they are to take their seat in the group stage for the 12th successive season.

All who enter September's UEFA Champions League group stage will be aiming to make it to the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in May 2009. The Italian capital has held three European Champion Clubs' Cup finals, in 1977, 1984 and 1996, and was the scene of the 1990 FIFA World Cup final between West Germany and Argentina.