Champions' League teams to share half a billion dollars		Listen to this story

For most clubs, the European Champions league provides the financial lifeblood and the incentive for a successful season. Reaching the later stages ensures sufficient money to be able to buy the best players and pay their wages.

Clubs from 16 nations have qualified. The football superpowers of England Spain and Italy provide four teams each including the reigning champions Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Germany has three qualifiers. Using a complex formula, eight teams have been identified as the top seeds to ensure that those clubs do not meet each other in the opening rounds. The English champions Chelsea have complained that they are not one of the top seeds in spite of reaching the semi finals in the two previous years.

the financial lifeblood: the money that helps a team to survive

the incentive: the motivation

sufficient: enough

the reigning champions: the team who are the current champions, they won the last competition

a complex formula: a complicated mathematical calcualtion

to ensure: to make sure, to guarantee

in spite of reaching the semi finals: even though they proceeded in the competition as far as the semi-finals, the game before the final

will advance to: will continue to

the line-up: the list of teams taking part

prestigious: respected because it is thought to be the best