The UEFA Champions League is set for a revamp which might not please everyone but the idea is to involve more European teams but also to make every game count.
The changes
The key change in this year’s competition is the departure from the current format’s group stage system. Previously the Champions League group stage had 32 participants split into eight groups of four.
Whereas, this season, 36 clubs will participate in the Champions League league phase (former group stage), which means four more sides are going to have the opportunity to compete against the best clubs in Europe.
Those 36 clubs will participate in a single league competition in which all 36 competing clubs are ranked together.
Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase (former group stage). It is important to note that they will no longer play three opponents twice on a home and away basis. Instead teams face fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.
To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots. Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.
The extra places
Qualification for the Champions League will continue to depend on a club’s final position in the previous season’s domestic league competition as well as each association’s position in the association club coefficient ranking.
The basis of the access list will remain the same as for the current season as well as an additional four slots available in 2024/25 will be allocated as follows:
- Slot one: This place will go to the club ranked third in the championship of the association in fifth position in the access list, which is determined by the UEFA association club coefficient ranking.
- Slot two: This place will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the Champions path of the competition’s qualifying process, which will consist of four qualifying rounds.
- Slots three and four: These places will go to the associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the previous season, which is based on the total number of club coefficient points obtained by each club from an association divided by the number of participating clubs from that association). Those two associations will each earn one automatic place in the league phase for the club ranked next-best in their domestic league behind those clubs that have already qualified directly for the league phase.
The Champions League knockout phase
The results of each match will decide the overall ranking in the new league, with three points for a win and one for a draw.
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16, while the teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition.
It is important to note that teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated, with no access to the UEFA Europa League.
The new format, with all the teams ranked together in a single league, will mean that there is more to play for all the way through to the final night of the league phase.
In the knockout phase, the teams that finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in the knockout phase play-off draw, meaning they will face a team placed 17th to 24th – with the return leg at home.
The eight clubs which prevail in the knockout phase play-offs will then progress to the round of 16, where they will each face one of the top-eight finishers, who will be seeded in the round of 16.
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will continue to follow its existing format of knockout rounds leading to the final staged at the Allianz Arena on 31st May 2025.
The Europa League and Europa Conference League changes
A similar format change will also take place in the UEFA Europa League (eight matches and therefore eight different opponents in the league phase) and UEFA Europa Conference League.
The latter will have a new name – it will be called the UEFA Conference League (six matches and therefore six different opponents in the league phase), with both competitions also featuring 36 teams in the league phase.
The calendar
The Champions League and Europa League matches will be played between September and January, while the Europa Conference League matches will be played between September and December.
Each of the three UEFA club competitions will have one exclusive matchweek, with the other two competitions not being scheduled in this week.
In standard weeks, Champions League matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League and Europa Conference League matches will be contested on Thursdays. In the Champions League exclusive week, Champions League matches will be played on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The Europa League exclusive week, Europa League matches will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
While the Europa Conference League exclusive week, Europa Conference League matches will take place on Thursday.
For the last matchday of each of the competitions’ league phases, all games will be played simultaneously.
