The qualifying rounds for the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League began on 15 July 2008.
In total, there were three qualifying rounds which provided 16 clubs to join the group stages.
In the draw for the first qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients.
Dinamo Zagreb Artmedia Petržalka Domžale IFK Göteborg Anorthosis Famagusta Tampere United Dinamo Tbilisi Ventspils Rabotnicki Modriča Kaunas Sheriff Tiraspol Drogheda United Valur BATE Borisov Levadia Tallinn Inter Baku Dinamo Tirana Pyunik Aktobe Linfield Llanelli
Two of the 14 ties were won by the team with the lower UEFA coefficient: Inter Baku (Azerbaijan, country rank 42) beat Rabotnicki (Macedonia, 36); and BATE Borisov (Belarus, 40) beat Valur (Iceland, 37).
Of the 28 teams in the first qualifying round, two survived as far as the group stage: Anorthosis Famagusta and BATE Borisov.
In the draw for the second qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients.
Rangers Panathinaikos Basel Fenerbahçe Anderlecht Sparta Prague Dynamo Kyiv Partizan Dinamo Zagreb[†] Wisła Kraków Artmedia Petržalka[†] AaB Brann Rapid Wien Domžale[†] Beitar Jerusalem MTK Budapest IFK Göteborg[†] Anorthosis Famagusta[†] Tampere United[†] Dinamo Tbilisi[†] Ventspils[†] Inter Baku[†] Modriča[†] Kaunas[†] Sheriff Tiraspol[†] Drogheda United[†] BATE Borisov[†] The first legs were played on 29 and 30 July, while the second legs were played on 5 and 6 August 2008.
The draw for the third qualifying round took place on 1 August 2008 in Nyon, Switzerland.
[1] In the draw for the third qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients.
However, the draw was held before the second qualifying round was played, which meant that Kaunas and BATE Borisov effectively moved into the higher pot, replacing the teams they eliminated.
Liverpool Barcelona Arsenal Schalke 04 Juventus Kaunas[†] Marseille Steaua București Panathinaikos[†] Basel[†] Olympiacos Fenerbahçe[†] Shakhtar Donetsk BATE Borisov[†] Fiorentina Spartak Moscow Atlético Madrid Sparta Prague[†] Dynamo Kyiv[†] Levski Sofia Slavia Prague Galatasaray Partizan[†] Vitória de Guimarães Dinamo Zagreb[†] Wisła Kraków[†] Standard Liège Twente Artmedia Petržalka[†] AaB[†] Brann[†] Anorthosis Famagusta[†] The first legs were played on 12 and 13 August, while the second legs were played on 26 and 27 August.
The winners of each tie advanced to the group stage, while the losers were seeded into the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round.