Get ready for a major makeover in the UEFA Champions League during the 2024/25 season.
This widely celebrated football competition, known for its excitement and worldwide popularity, is about to go through significant changes with the revamped UCL format.
Ever since it started as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1955, the Champions League has consistently adapted to the evolving world of football.
Just over a year ago in Vienna, the UEFA Executive Committee gave the go-ahead for a new format after two years of intense debates and several years of negotiations among Europe’s top teams.
The most recent changes, officially approved on May 10, 2022, are geared toward making the competition more thrilling for clubs, players, and fans. This marks a new chapter in the already rich history of European football.
Starting from the 2024-25 season, these changes will be put into action, involving more teams and more games.
The biggest teams on the continent are likely to gain advantages from the new format as they strive to qualify for the next campaign. This will be the first time the qualification process is based on the expanded competition.
Teams from the same countries might face each other much earlier in the competition, and fans might find themselves cheering for their domestic rivals to boost their team’s chances.
CheapGoals provides a breakdown of what has changed and what it all means for the future of the Champions League.
Published Dec 5 2023, updated on August 30th 2024
Arsenal will play Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta among their eight opening fixtures in the first stage of the new-look Champions League.
The new format comprises of a single league featuring all 36 teams, with every entrant playing four home games and four away.
The top eight will go straight into the last 16 while a round of play-offs will decide the other eight teams.
The exact schedule of fixtures will be announced by Uefa on Saturday.
Gunners, being in Pot 2, are relatively pleased to get their opponents from Pot 1. Rest of their opponents emerged as Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco and Girona.
Manchester City were handed a slightly tougher on-paper draw as Inter, Juventus and PSG were joined by Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Sparta Prague, Slovan Bratislava.
The next British team pulled out by former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon at the draw in Monte Carlo were Liverpool.
Cristiano Ronaldo was then tasked with pushing a big button on the desk in front of him to dish out eight computer-generated opponents.
The Reds were handed fixtures with current holders Real Madrid, Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan, Lille, PSV Eindhoven, Bologna and Girona.
Scottish champions Celtic, seeded in Pot 3, were handed an all-British tie away at Aston Villa.
They will also meet last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig, Club Bruges, Atalanta, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb and Slovan Bratislava.
2024/25 Champions League Format: Key Changes
The most key change in the upcoming reforms is the departure from the current group stage system. Instead of 32 teams in eight groups, the 2024/25 season will see 36 clubs participating in a single league competition.
This change allows for a more extensive range of opponents as each team will play eight matches against different opponents, split between home and away fixtures.
To determine these opponents, teams will be first ranked in four seeding pots.
Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each pot, encouraging a more diverse and competitive group stage.
This alteration aims to provide fans with the excitement of seeing top teams facing each other earlier in the competition, creating a more thrilling experience for supporters.
Qualification for the Champions League will continue to emphasize sporting merit, with access determined by a club’s final position in the domestic league and association club coefficient ranking.
Four additional spots will be introduced, and allocated to clubs based on their performance in the association club coefficient ranking.
Knockout Phase
The knockout phase will witness changes too.
The top eight teams in the league phase will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while teams finishing 9th to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase playoff.
This alteration ensures a heightened level of competition throughout the competition, with teams ranked together in a single league.
The pairings in the knockout phase will be partly determined by the league phase rankings, introducing an additional layer of excitement and sporting incentive.
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will follow its existing format of knockout rounds leading to the final, played at a neutral venue.
Europa League and Europa Conference League Changes
The reforms extend to the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League (rebranded as UEFA Conference League).
Both competitions will feature 36 teams in the league phase, similar to the Champions League, providing more clubs with the opportunity to compete at the European level.
Calendar and Benefits for Fans
The Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League matches will be played between September and January, with each competition having an exclusive match.
Champions League matches will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Europa League and Europa Conference League on Thursdays, providing a structured and engaging schedule for fans.
The new format benefits fans by involving more teams, creating a better competitive balance, and ensuring that every game has a significant impact on a team’s position.
The possibility of dramatic changes in standings up to the final matchday adds an extra layer of excitement for supporters.
Benefits of the European Game
The reforms aim to secure the positive future of European football by upholding the principles of open competition and sporting merit.
The increased number of teams in UEFA club competitions allows more coaches and players to experience competitive European games, contributing to the growth and development of the sport.
UEFA has also reaffirmed its financial commitment to European football, ensuring solidarity for clubs not participating in UEFA club competitions. This commitment strengthens the foundation of the game in Europe, promoting sustainability and inclusivity.
What will the Champions League look like from 2024-25?
The number of teams competing in the competition will increase from 32 to 36, meaning there will now be 189 matches instead of 125, and the group stage will be replaced by a league phase — otherwise known as the “Swiss model”.
New Format
- Tournament expansion from 32 to 36 teams
- Replacement of the traditional group stage with a single league phase
- Each team plays eight matches (four home, four away) in the league phase
- The top eight teams qualify directly for the knockout stage
- The remaining eight knockout-stage spots are determined through two-legged playoffs
Four New Spots
- The first will go to the club ranked third in the fifth-placed association in Europe.
- The Second spot will go to a domestic champion via the so-called “Champions Path”.
- The third spot and fourth spot will be given to the association with the best collective performances by their club in the previous season.
- Each respective association/country will earn one place.
Europa League and Conference League Changes
- The Europa League will also have 36 teams in the league phase with eight matches in the league stage.
- The Conference league will have 36 teams as well but will continue the same format as earlier which will be six matches per team.
If the new format takes effect in the 2024-25 season, both the Premier League and the Dutch Eredivisie would receive an additional team for participation starting from the next season.
Champions League Draw
How is it different from how it used to be?
Currently, in the Champions League, each team in the main competition plays in a four-team group stage. The top two teams move on to the knockout stages, while the third-placed team drops into the Europa League.
Teams that progress then compete in knockout rounds, aiming to win in the last-16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final to become the champions of Europe.
When the new system is introduced in 2024, one thing that will stay the same is the two-legged semi-finals.
Despite discussions last year about possibly scrapping them and having all matches in a single week in one city, UEFA has decided to keep the two-legged semi-finals for the time being.
What is the effect on Premier League qualification due to these changes?
Currently, the Premier League can qualify four teams for the Champions League, but due to the league’s strong performance, they are likely to secure five slots from 2024 onward.
This development is expected to please the Premier League, as they are on the verge of having five guaranteed Champions League places.
Spain, Germany, and Italy are also anticipated to be content with the new format, as the additional spot is likely to be allocated to either La Liga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A.
Although there are bonus points for Champions League participation over the Europa League or Europa Conference League, a smaller country still has a chance to earn one of the coefficient places.
What does it mean for Premier League clubs?
Last year, insiders from the Premier League, speaking anonymously to protect their positions, welcomed UEFA’s decision to eliminate historical coefficient places and reduce the number of group-stage matches from 10 to eight.
Richard Masters, the Chief Executive of the Premier League, is believed to have collaborated closely with UEFA on these proposals, winning praise for his efforts.
This decision raises the real possibility that the English Premier League could have eight teams participating in European club competitions each season, which is particularly good news for teams outside the traditional ‘Big Six.’
The narrative around the race for a top-four finish is likely to shift to a top-five finish, providing a boost to teams aspiring to break into the established elite.
The changes are expected to appease club executives who criticized the historical coefficient proposals as unfair and limiting.
By basing qualification on the country coefficient, the argument at the club level is diminished.
However, there is a counterargument suggesting that the financial disparity between smaller and larger teams may widen due to the new Champions League format.
This is attributed to the potential for an additional spot and increased broadcast revenue from the competition.
The Ripple Effect
There’s a view suggesting that UEFA may have primarily considered the preferences of the Premier League and La Liga while deciding to reduce the league phase from 10 to eight matches.
Ligue 1 in France had a different stance, advocating for a 10-game league phase and expressing disapproval of club coefficients.
They communicated their preference to UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA), stating that they reduced their domestic league to 18 games in anticipation of more European matches.
Unlike club coefficients, Ligue 1 proposed that one of the two extra places should be awarded to a domestic champion from a mid-sized league, and the other to the fifth-largest league, giving it four spots like the top four leagues.
Currently, Ligue 1 is the fifth-best league.
In essence, each league wanted more, showcasing a sense of greed, but the new format aims to provide a balance.
It is expected to encourage teams participating in any of UEFA’s three club competitions to strive for success and accumulate coefficient points for their respective countries.
How will clubs benefit financially?
Last week, UEFA suggested that they hoped for a rise in revenue of about 33 per cent for their revamped club competitions.
The Champions League currently brings in €3.6billion (£3.13bn; $3.9bn) for each of the three seasons between 2021 and 2024.
When speaking about projected revenue last Tuesday, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti said: “We are working on (both) conservative and more optimistic projections in a range I would say between €4.6billion and €4.8bn.”
UEFA is in discussions with the ECA and the European Leagues groups to decide how to distribute the extra prize money.
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