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The Champions League could have a distinctly totally different look subsequent season after UEFA introduced sweeping modifications to its marquee membership competitors beginning in 2024-25.
Following greater than 20 years beneath the present format, UEFA lastly revealed plans for its extremely anticipated revamped Champions League, apparently in response to the transient risk posed by the European Tremendous League final 12 months.
What’s totally different concerning the new format?
The elimination of the group stage format is probably the largest change introduced Monday.
An thrilling new period for European membership soccer awaits 🤩
Right here’s how the #UCL will look from 2024/25 👇 pic.twitter.com/mEffFOpX2O
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 4, 2024
The 32-team group stage featured since 2003 will likely be changed by a league section and embody a further 4 groups, bringing the whole variety of Champions League individuals to 36 golf equipment.
Subsequent season, certified groups will play eight video games – two greater than in earlier years – within the opening spherical of the match.
Every membership will likely be drawn towards eight totally different opponents that it’s going to play in 4 residence and 4 away matches. Groups will likely be initially ranked in 4 seeding pots to find out their eight opponents.
The change ought to make “high groups” meet earlier within the match extra often, based on UEFA.
To allocate the 4 further Champions League league section spots, two locations will go to groups within the best-performing leagues in Europe, primarily based on their efficiency within the present season. The third will go to the third-ranked staff within the league ranked fifth within the UEFA coefficient.
The fourth further place goes to “a home champion by extending from 4 to 5 the variety of golf equipment qualifying by way of the Champions path of the competitors’s qualifying course of,” which consists of 4 qualifying rounds.
How will the knockout section work?
To straight qualify for the spherical of 16, groups should end within the high eight positions of the league.
Golf equipment that end between ninth place and twenty fourth will meet in a two-legged knockout playoff spherical to find out who qualifies for the remaining eight spots within the spherical of 16.
Groups that end twenty fifth and decrease are eradicated routinely and will not be granted entry to the Europa League.
After the spherical of 16, the match will proceed to make use of its present format of two-legged knockout spherical video games till the one-leg remaining.
“The brand new format, with all of the groups ranked collectively in a single league, will imply that there’s extra to play for all through to the ultimate evening of the league section,” UEFA stated.
Will this have an effect on the calendar?
Beneath the brand new system, first-round video games within the Champions League and Europa League video games will likely be performed between September and January, whereas the Europa Convention League matches will happen from September till December.
Every league could have “one unique matchweek” along with customary weeks through which matches will likely be contested on the identical days as this season.
Nevertheless, through the Champions League-specific week, video games will likely be performed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On the Europa League week, video games are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, whereas the Europa Convention League-specific week characteristic video games on Thursdays.
What concerning the Europa League, Convention League?
The Europa League and the UEFA Europa Convention League will undertake comparable modifications to the Champions League, together with a league section as a substitute of the group stage and increasing to 36 groups.
Nevertheless, golf equipment within the UEFA Europa Convention League – which will likely be referred to as UEFA Convention League after this season – are assured six video games within the opening spherical as a substitute of eight, just like the Champions League and Europa League.
The 2024-25 Champions League season formally kicks off July 9 and concludes with the ultimate match on Could 31, 2025.
