Changes are coming. What you need to know about the new format of the UEFA Champions League?

Football Europe is eagerly anticipating the decisive stages of the UEFA Champions League, with less than a month to go before the start of the knockout phase of the continent's premier club tournament. As a reminder, this season will be the last in the current format, but the changes will only affect the qualifying rounds and the group stage. In this piece, Dailysports aims to explore how the revamped tournament will impact clubs and the season's schedule.

What changes will occur in the UEFA Champions League from the next season?

One of the key changes in the reforms presented by the UEFA Executive Committee is a revision of the format of the group stage of the Champions League. Currently, 32 teams participate in the group stage, divided into eight groups of four teams each. Starting from the 2024/25 season, a new format will be introduced, where 36 clubs will participate in the main stage of the Champions League (formerly the group stage). This will provide an opportunity for four more teams to compete with the best clubs in Europe. In the new format, these 36 teams will compete in a single league, where everyone will compete against each other.

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Under the new rules, on the main stage (formerly the group stage), each team will play eight matches. There will no longer be repeat matches with each of the three opponents – home and away. Instead, each club will play eight matches against eight different teams – four at home and four away. To determine opponents, teams will initially be divided into four seeding pots. Then, in the draw, each team will get two opponents from each pot and play one home and one away match against each of these teams.

This new format will allow participants to test their strength against a more diverse set of opponents, and will give fans more opportunities to witness matches between top clubs at earlier stages of the tournament. Additionally, the new system will lead to an increase in the number of competitive matches for each club throughout the tournament.

Who will get the four additional spots?

Since the reform involves expanding the number of participants in the group stage from 32 to 36, there is a need for four additional spots in the group. They will be allocated to:

• The third team from the fifth Association in the coefficient table (currently going through qualification).
• The best team from the best Association in the previous season's UEFA coefficient ranking that did not qualify for the Champions League through their domestic league.
• The best team from the second-best Association in the previous season's UEFA coefficient ranking that did not qualify for the Champions League through their domestic league.
• The winner of the additional "Champions Path" slot in the qualification (now, not four but five teams will advance).

For example, the third team from the fifth Association in the coefficient table (France) last season was Marseille. Thus, under the new rules, the team would immediately enter the group stage and would not play qualification matches. The best teams from the two best Associations in the previous season's UEFA coefficient ranking (England and Italy) were Liverpool and Atalanta, which would also have the right to play in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League this season.

Who will advance to the playoffs under the new format of the UEFA Champions League?

Under the new rules of the UEFA Champions League, an overall tournament table is created based on the results of all matches. Teams still receive three points for a win and one for a draw.

The top eight teams immediately advance to the Round of 16. Those ranking from 9th to 24th place participate in playoff matches for the right to join the top eight. Teams ranked 25th and below end their participation in the European club season. There will no longer be a transition to the UEFA Europa League.

In the playoff draw, those ranking from 9th to 16th place on the main stage will be seeded, and face teams ranked from 17th to 24th place. Seeded teams host the return leg of the playoff matches. The eight winners of the playoffs advance to the Round of 16, where they face the top 8 teams from the main stage. Starting from the Round of 16, the tournament will follow the traditional format. The final will consist of a single match and be held at a neutral stadium chosen by UEFA in advance.

Note that all matches except the final will continue to be played midweek, emphasizing the importance of the calendar for national tournaments throughout Europe. The final will traditionally take place on a Saturday.

What will be the schedule under the new format of the UEFA Champions League?

Matches of the main stage of the UEFA Champions League will take place from September to January. Interestingly, each of the three UEFA club tournaments will have an exclusive game week, where matches of the other two tournaments will not be played.

In standard weeks, Champions League matches will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League and Conference League matches will take place on Thursdays. During the exclusive Champions League week, matches will be played on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In the final round of the main stage, all matches will be played simultaneously.

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In summary, the new tournament format not only increases the number of participants but also leads to more matches between top clubs, which may occur at earlier stages of the tournament. This altered structure ensures a more balanced competition among all teams, providing them with the opportunity to compete against equally matched opponents throughout the stage.

Now, every match becomes crucial. Within the main stage, the result of each team affects its position, starting from the first round and ending with the last. For example, in the past, four victories in the initial four matches guaranteed advancement to the Round of 16. The new format promises to maintain intrigue until the very last round.