Why Arsenal Cannot Face Inter Milan at San Siro in the Champions League
The 2026/27 Champions League draw is set to take place in Monaco on Thursday, with Arsenal among the 36 clubs competing in the new-look League Phase.
The Gunners came agonisingly close to winning their first-ever European title last season, only to lose the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Mikel Arteta’s side remain among the favourites for this season’s competition and will discover their eight League Phase opponents during Thursday’s draw.
Arsenal could be drawn against Italian giants Inter Milan, but there is one important restriction: they cannot play Inter at San Siro during the League Phase.
Arsenal have already faced Inter at the famous Milan stadium in each of the previous two Champions League campaigns.
In 2024/25, Inter secured a 1-0 victory, with Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s first-half penalty proving decisive. Arsenal then got their revenge last season, recording a 3-1 win thanks to a brace from Gabriel Jesus and a goal from Viktor Gyökeres.
However, UEFA has introduced a new rule for the 2026/27 competition that prevents the same two teams from meeting at the same venue for three consecutive seasons.
UEFA states that a fixture between the same two clubs cannot be repeated with the same home team for three successive seasons.
As a result, Arsenal and Inter can still be drawn together, but if they meet in the League Phase, the fixture would have to be played at the Emirates Stadium rather than San Siro.
The restriction only applies to the League Phase. The two clubs could still meet in the knockout stages.
Arsenal are not the only club affected by the rule. Liverpool also cannot host Real Madrid in the League Phase this season after the two sides met at Anfield in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Champions League Matchday 1 is scheduled for September 8-10, while Arsenal’s next Premier League fixture is away to Aston Villa on August 31.
