The UEFA Champions League, the biggest club football competition in the world showcases some of the best teams, players, managers, stadiums in the game. Its current format has been so successful it is hard to believe it can be bettered but yes it has been refreshed with the hope of improving the competition and growing revenue. BUT WILL IT?
From the 2024/25 season the UEFA Champions League will be different. The number of participating teams will increase from 32 to 36. That will see the number of games in the competition go up from 125 to 189. There will be no group stages, it has been replaced by a league system in a format popularly known as the “Swiss model”.
Where as teams used to play six games in the group phase in the current format, they will now be required to play eight games in the league phase with four home games and four away games. When the League phase is done the top eight teams will qualify automatically to the last-16. Teams that finished from 9th to 24th will be drawn to compete in a two-legged play-off to earn a spot in the last-16. Clubs from the same league can also meet as early as the last-16. The current Champions League format only allows clubs from the same country to meet from the quarter final stage.
Who earns the four new slots in the 36 team Champions League Competition?
Well two of the four slot will be go to nations whose clubs had the best performance in the previous season. There is a way to calculate it and this is how; add the total points won by teams from one nation and divide it by the number of sides who played in UEFA inter club competitions. One of the extra slots will go to a domestic champion via “Champions Path.” The champions path is UEFA’s name for the qualification process for domestic champions who do not automatically go into the group stage. There is also a spot for the club ranked third in the fifth-placed association in Europe.
The switch to the league format from the group stage style will see the league games played over 10 weeks. It is also said that the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League will be played in separate weeks.
“We are convinced that the format chosen strikes the right balance and that it will improve the competitive balance and generate solid revenues that can be distributed to clubs, leagues and into grassroots football across our continent, “UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said.
What happens to the Europa League and Europa Conference League?
Well the Europa League and Europa Conference League will also get a refresh. Both competitions will replace the group stage with the league phase. The new look will feature 36 teams with the Europa League teams playing eight league games and the Europa Conference League playing six matches.
What do you make of the new UEFA inter-club competition format?
Writer: Philip Sitsofe Atsrim
