2024-08-28 17:11:30
As the new Champions League season approaches, it’s time to be reminded of the new formula for the final phase that UEFA offers in all European club competitions.
How does the new format look and work?
The teams will discover on Thursday during the draw which eight clubs they will meet (four at home and four away), but there will be no actual groups drawn as we are used to.
All teams will be in one phase as a major league with 36 teams, compared to the previous format of eight groups of four teams.
So – how will the draw go?
The teams will be divided into four huge groups according to their standings.
Each team faces two teams from each group, one at home and one away.
A team will be drawn from a group and UEFA’s software will then decide its eight opponents and whether they will be home or away, unlike in previous years when former footballers and legends drew the teams’ opponents.
This means more matches between the biggest teams.
For example, Manchester City can face Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
The software stops teams playing against opponents from their own country and means each team can only play two clubs from any country.
Teams that finish in the top eight will automatically qualify for the Round of 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th will compete in a two-leg elimination playoff (home/away) for the chance to join them .
Whoever finishes 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not be included in the Europa League.
From the round of 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its existing format, with the final taking place at a neutral venue – this season in Munich.
The number of matches in the new format will increase from 125 to 189.
Each main draw team will play a minimum of eight (instead of six previously) and a maximum of 17.
The league phase will now run until the end of January instead of ending before Christmas.
Which teams will participate?
England: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Spain: “Real” (Madrid), “Barcelona”, “Girona”, “Atletico” (Madrid)
Italy: “Inter”, “Milan”, “Juventus”, “Atalanta”, “Bologna”
Germany: “Bayer” (Leverkusen), “Stuttgart”, “Bayern”, “RB Leipzig”, “Borussia” (Dortmund)
France: “Paris Saint-Germain”, “Monaco”, “Brest”
The Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Portugal: “Sporting”, “Benfica”
Belgium: “Bruges”
Scotland: “Celtic”
Austria: “Sturm”, “Salzburg”
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Switzerland: “Young Boys”
Czech Republic: “Sparta”
The final four spots will be determined through Wednesday night’s playoffs.
The draw will be made on Thursday at 19:00.