French champions Paris Saint-Germain will start their quest for Champions League glory with ties against Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United while Ligue 1 runners-up Lens will test their mettle in the group stages against Arsenal, Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven.

Shortly after Thursday night's draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Lens released a video on social media to celebrate their involvement after a 21-year absence from the tournament.

Defending champions Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Crevna Zvezda and the Swiss outfit Young Boys.

Inter Milan, last year's beaten finalists, will face Benfica, Salzburg and Real Sociedad.

Real Madrid – the most successful club in the 67-year history of competition with 14 titles – will begin their hunt for a 15th crown against the Italian champions Napoli as well as Braga and debutants Union Berlin.

Like Lens, Newcastle United, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, have not played in the Champions League for just over two decades.

The opening round of games will be played on 19 and 20 September.

The draw at the Grimaldi Forum took place against a backdrop of a scandal involving Luis Rubiales, the head of trhe Spanish federation and also a vice president of Uefa which organises the tournament.

In the Uefa awards ceremony just after the draw, Sarina Wiegman, boss of the England women's team, was anointed coach of the year.

After accepting the accolade, the 53-year-old Dutchwoman paid tribute to the side that robbed her players of the trophy.

Read more on RFI English

Read also:
'Underdogs Inter' await Manchester City or Madrid in Champions League final
Champions League draw: PSG await fate as Spanish supremo Rubiales stays away
Marseille start Champions League odyssey in Greece