Ahead of the draw for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League which takes place on Thursday in Monaco, AFP Sport explains the format of the brand new, expanded model of Europe’s elite membership competitors:
More golf equipment, no extra teams
The up to date model of the Champions League will see 36 golf equipment characteristic within the competitors correct, a rise from 32 beneath the previous format.
There is an additional place for the fifth-best European league in line with UEFA’s rating, which implies France’s Ligue 1 now has three automated qualifiers.
In addition, there may be an additional berth for every of the 2 leagues with the very best coefficient rating from final season in UEFA competitors, which this 12 months are Germany and Italy.
The remaining additional slot goes to a nationwide champion to emerge from the qualifying rounds, which will probably be accomplished this midweek.
Since 2003, the Champions League featured 32 golf equipment break up into eight teams of 4, with the highest two from every part advancing to the final 16.
That has now modified radically, and from this season the 36 golf equipment will probably be pooled collectively in a single league, in a so-called ‘Swiss system’ extra generally related to chess.
Much more video games
Before, taking part groups performed six video games within the group stage, dealing with every opponent house and away. Now golf equipment will every have eight video games.
The 36 groups will probably be break up into 4 seeded pots of 9. Every membership will play two groups from every pot, one at house and one away.
This “raises the prospect for followers of seeing the highest groups go face to face extra typically and earlier within the competitors,” UEFA say, a nod to the very fact this format was launched at a time when the spectre of a breakaway Super League hung over European soccer.
No workforce will come up towards one other membership from the identical home league as them, and each membership can solely face a most of two groups from anybody nation.
Whereas in previous years the group stage led to December, the growth of the Champions League means the 2 additional matchdays will probably be staged in January.
The variety of video games is rising from 96 within the previous group stage, as much as 144 within the new league part.
Extra knockout spherical
The 36 golf equipment will probably be ranked collectively within the one league, with the highest eight all progressing to the final 16 and the format of the competitors from that time on remaining the identical.
However, it is going to be seeded, considering positions within the league part.
In addition, a play-off spherical will probably be launched, with the groups ending from ninth to twenty fourth within the league part going via to a two-legged knock-out tie to resolve the remaining spots within the final 16. These play-off ties will probably be seeded.
The backside 12 groups within the league part will probably be eradicated, with no entry to the second-tier Europa League, as was the case prior to now.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
