UEFA has revealed the new format for the Champions League, Europe’s premier club competition, set to be implemented from the 2024-25 season onward.
UEFA, as detailed in the announcement video via Fabrizio Romano, will replace the current 32-team group stage with a unified 36-team league phase in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League, starting from the 2024-25 season.
Under the new format, each team will be drawn against eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots. They will play four games at home and four away during the league phase.
Teams finishing first through eighth in the league phase will directly qualify for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, teams finishing ninth through 24th will compete in a knockout playoff round to join the top eight teams in the pre-quarterfinals.
Under the new format, teams finishing 25th to 36th will be eliminated directly from all competitions. This is a departure from the previous system, where third-placed group finishers dropped down to the preliminary playoff round of the lower European leagues.
The introduction of the re-formatting plans came shortly after the European Super League controversy in 2021. The threat of top European clubs breaking away from UEFA to form their exclusive league prompted these changes in the Champions League format.
“The new system will ensure fast-changing and unpredictable standings, more matches between equally ranked teams competing for crucial points,” a representative of UEFA said in the video.
UEFA believes that this new format will usher in “a thrilling new future for European club football.” Only time will tell if this statement translates into reality.
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Bayern Munich faces a considerable risk in the return legs, while Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain appear poised to advance in their respective fixtures.
All four top clubs in UEFA’s club rankings are poised to return to action in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 later this week. However, one of them is on the verge of a highly improbable elimination.
Manchester City holds a comfortable 3-1 lead from their away game in Copenhagen. With stars Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in top form, the defending champions are expected to cruise into the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid currently holds a slim 1-0 lead from their first-leg matchup in Leipzig, thanks to Brahim Diaz’s stunning curler. Despite recent shaky performances in domestic games against Valencia and Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid has a reputation for stepping up in Europe’s premier competition.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is grappling with the impending departure of superstar Kylian Mbappe in the summer. Despite this, the French team holds a 2-0 lead in their Round of 16 clash, courtesy of Mbappe’s tap-in and a stunning goal from young forward Bradley Barcola. As they travel to San Sebastian, PSG has the opportunity to confirm their place in the quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich finds themselves in a challenging position after being stunned 1-0 by Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. The team is on a difficult run of form, with only two wins in their last six games. The defending champions now face the prospect of an early exit from the competition they have won six times.
The Champions League returns for the second leg of the Round of 16 fixtures on Tuesday, March 5.
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