1996–97 UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League 1996/97 was the 5th season of the most important European competition for club teams in football under this name and the 42nd overall and was won on 28 May 1997 from Borussia Dortmund in Munich's Olympic Stadium against the defending champions Juventus. There were again not all reported state champion at the start, since due to the increased number of member associations since the early 1990s, the UEFA had decided to let 1996 start in the UEFA five year ranking lower -placed champion in the UEFA Cup / 97. So took including the defending champions Juventus as last year only 24 teams from 23 state associations in the contest. For Italy, next to Turin, AC Milan was still as the current national champion at the start.
Mode
Compared to last year there was a slight change. First were the losers of the qualifying round in the first round of the simultaneously held the UEFA Cup in 1996/97 to continue.
Qualification
The winner of the qualifying round reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, the defeated teams played in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1996/97 on.
The first legs took place on 21 August 1996 and 3, the return games.
Group stage
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Quarterfinals
The first legs took place on 19 March 1997 on the 5th, the return games.
Semifinal
The first legs took place on 23 April 1997 on the 9th, the return games.