How the new format works

In case you have not heard, UEFA are making huge adjustments to the Champions League subsequent season. It sees the tip of the group stage as we all know it, in addition to the introduction of 4 additional groups to the league part that replaces it.

It’s the greatest shake-up to the format of the competitors because the discontinuation of the second group stage, which was final utilized in 2002/03. Due to this fact, it might be overdue a change – not that there was something essentially fallacious with the outgoing format.

Manchester Metropolis, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all concerned as 36 groups do battle within the new-look ultimate event. It means extra video games, extra completely different opponents, and UEFA hopes there will probably be extra drama to go together with it. However will it stay as much as the billing?

Right here is Soccer FanCast’s rundown of the way it’ll work and what you’ll be able to anticipate to alter when the brand new format comes into impact.

How the 2024/25 Champions League will work

The largest change is that UEFA is dropping the group stage. As a substitute of eight teams of 4 groups, there will probably be a single league of 36 groups, with every staff taking part in eight occasions in opposition to eight completely different opponents – two groups from every of the 4 pots – with 4 at dwelling and 4 away.

The eight groups who end with essentially the most factors will qualify for the spherical of 16. These positioned from Ninth-Twenty fourth will enter a two-legged play-off spherical to find out the opposite eight groups. The 12 backside golf equipment will all be eradicated – with no extra dropping down within the Europa League.

By the way, each the Europa League and Convention League will endure related adjustments, with golf equipment not in a position to play in numerous competitions throughout the identical marketing campaign.

As soon as the spherical of 16 begins, the format reverts to regular – two-legged ties till the ultimate, with no use of away objectives all through.

Wanting on the schedule within the desk beneath, the important thing variations are the 2 league part matchdays within the new 12 months, with the 36 certified groups assured to be taking part in European soccer till late January – whereas the final of those is a single date quite than break up over Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

That is presumably to make sure most carnage as groups scrap for the eight automated knockout-round slots, with related seemingly as sides look to keep away from immediate elimination.

2024/25 Champions League key dates

Easy methods to qualify for the Champions League

With the league part involving 36 groups, there are 4 extra locations up for grabs for the ultimate event.

The qualification course of is essentially untouched, with the reigning champions and Europa League winners nonetheless getting locations in the event that they have not already certified, however 4 additional paths wanted to be created.

One additional place now goes to the fifth-ranked nation in UEFA’s coefficient standings, which is France, that means 4 Ligue 1 golf equipment can enter the competitors by means of the league. There’s additionally an additional place up for grabs within the ‘Champions Path’ qualifying rounds for nations ranked eleventh by means of fifty fifth.

The opposite two locations are awarded to the nations that collectively obtain the most effective ends in the earlier season’s competitors, which is decided by including up coefficient factors and dividing them by the variety of taking part groups from that nation.

This 12 months, Italy and Germany grabbed these locations – generally known as European Efficiency Spots – with Bologna and final season’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund, the lucky recipients.

2024/25 Champions League certified groups

29 golf equipment certified for the league part upon the completion of the 2023/24 league season. Two golf equipment – Shakhtar Donetsk and Benfica – certified because of the winners of the Champions League and Europa League (Actual Madrid and Atalanta respectively) already qualifying by means of their league place. This leaves seven extra slots to be stuffed through the play-off rounds.

2024/25 Champions League draw process & projected pots

With extra groups and a brand-new league part, adjustments should be made to the draw process as effectively. Supporters who put themselves by means of the tenuous group stage draw ceremony yearly could also be delighted by the information that the fixtures will probably be decided by a pc, eradicating the necessity for a prolonged match-making course of.

UEFA has confirmed that because of the complexities of the brand new format, it could take too lengthy to attract the fixtures manually. This implies we’ll see fewer balls being unscrewed and extra fixtures being allotted on the push of some buttons. However how will the draw truly work, and who can play who?

Groups will probably be allotted into 4 pots as regular – with 9 slots now accessible in each. Groups will probably be drawn randomly from Pot 1, at which level the pc will decide their opponents. Each staff will face two opponents from every pot, no matter which one they’re in. The pc may even decide which video games are performed dwelling and away.

As in earlier years, there may be nationwide safety in the course of the league part, although groups from the identical affiliation will be capable of face one another from the final 16 onwards – a spherical sooner than regular.

One other alteration to the draw schedule sees a draw from the last-16 stage figuring out the remaining groups’ path to the ultimate, that means there isn’t a want for an additional draw come the quarter-finals.

Under is how the pots are shaping up forward of the play-off spherical second-leg ties – these may change forward of Thursday’s draw. Galatasaray are trailing heading into their second-leg decider in opposition to Younger Boys, with information boffins at Soccer Rankings projecting the Turkish facet as favourites to imagine a spot in Pot 3 in the event that they overturn their 3-2 deficit.

Elsewhere, all non-qualified sides beneath listed right here bar Bodo/Glimt and FC Midtjylland boast at the least two-goal leads forward of the midweek ties, with the Norwegian facet holding a slender 2-1 benefit in opposition to 1991 champions Purple Star Belgrade.

Danish outfit Midtjylland must win away from dwelling to progress after a first-leg 1-1 draw in opposition to Slovan Bratislava, who’re aiming to make the principle event for the primary time because the 1992/93 season.

Champions League draw dates

These are the remaining dates on your diary in case you do not wish to miss a factor. As talked about, there are solely two attracts following the completion of the league part; one for the knockout play-off spherical, and one other for the remainder of the knockout levels. Positions within the league are set to find out a staff’s path to the ultimate, which will probably be mapped out in full on the last-16 stage as an alternative of the quarter-finals as in earlier years.