The European Football Association (UEFA) outlined its decision on Tuesday regarding the changes to the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League will be conducted starting from the 2024/2025 season. The Champions League changes include the 36-team, one-table main tables, the so-called Swiss-style draw, and according to the new formula, even the 24th place finisher can reach the last eight.
Changes to the Champions League
According to Tuesday’s announcement, the Executive Committee of the European Federation also approved the proposal adopted last spring, so it became certain that serious changes would come in the European Cups in two years’ time.
As originally planned, the main table will be increased from 32 to 36, and instead of the four-team groups there will be a large table. In the end, each team plays eight matches (originally it would have been ten), all with other opponents, four on home soil, four away from home.
As a result of the Champions League changes, the draw of the opponents will be decided using the so-called Swiss system, meaning that everyone will meet teams with similar performances, but no further details are known in this regard.
What will be the effects of these Champions League changes?
The top eight finishers in the 36-team big table automatically advance to the quarter final, while teams ranked 9th-24th will play for a spot in the remaining eight places.
The changes to the Champions League also means that four extra seats with an increase in headcount will not be allocated on the basis of the UEFA club coefficient. One of them will go to the third-placed team in the current UEFA rankings (as it stands currently, France), in the future five teams will be awarded to the main draw instead of four from the league branch of the Champions League, and one place each will go to the two countries whose club teams (in proportion to the participating teams) have collected the most points in the European Cup season prior to that competition.
Because of the Champions League changes, UEFA has also upheld the current system regarding match dates, so, with the exception of the finals, meetings will continue to be held during the week.
Following suit with the changes to the Champions League, the European federation makes virtually the same changes to the Europa League and the European Conference League, with the difference that in the latter the final result of the 36-team table is formed only on the basis of six matches.
Everything you need to know about the Changes to the Champions League from the official UEFA Site.
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