lol u guys seriously dunno the rule??
unique case. Liverpool champ UCL 2004/2005, but bad league position. just like us this season.
dat time there's no rule where champ can still play in next season CL if league position not top4.
if i cud clearly remember: dat time(2005/06) england got 5 representative with everton missed out the grouping stage (loss KO 3rd round qualifying vs Villareal). Liverpool started from round 1 KO
Since then, UEFA change the rule..champ auto straight to grouping stage; max team according to what has been allocated (england 4 places)..
if other country let say 2 teams only can qualify..so 2nd in the league will be tendang to be replace with the champ of CL previous season.
england : spurs(4th place) kena tendang coz chelsea champ UCL.
teams from same country WILL NEVER meet each other since i cud remember in the gruping stage..
only that particular year unique case coz it NEVER happens in the history of CL.
Thanks for highlighting that, for avoidance o doubt ive looked up in the rule book article 7.04 "Once the play-offs have been completed, the 32 remaining clubs are drawn into eight groups of four. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn into the same group"