As the current season of the Champions League reaches the quarter-finals, anticipation is building for the final edition of the UCL in its current format before the imminent revamp of the tournament into a 36-team competition. Among the significant changes is the allocation of an additional place to two leagues based on their performance in European competitions this season. While the knockout stages of the UCL, Europa League (UEL), and Europa Conference League (UECL) are underway, speculation is rife about which leagues stand to benefit from this expansion. However, with the final decision still pending and the competition heating up, the race for the coveted extra spot remains wide open. In this article, we delve into the details of the revamped format and analyse the contenders vying for the final slot in next season’s Champions League.
What’s the new format of the Champions League?
UEFA has introduced significant reforms, notably departing from the current group stage system of the Champions League. In the current format, 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four. However, starting from the 2024/25 season, the Champions League will see an expansion to 36 participating clubs in the league phase, granting four additional teams the chance to compete at the highest level in European football. In this revamped structure, all 36 clubs will engage in a single league competition, where they will be ranked together.
Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in this league phase, deviating from the previous setup of facing three opponents twice, both home and away. Instead, clubs will confront eight different teams, with half of these matches hosted at home and the other half away. The selection of opponents will be determined by initially ranking teams into four seeding pots. Subsequently, each team will be drawn to play two opponents from each pot, contesting one match against a team from each pot at home and another away.
This alteration provides clubs with the opportunity to challenge themselves against a broader spectrum of opponents. Additionally, it heightens the possibility for fans to witness elite teams clash more frequently and earlier in the competition. Furthermore, the reform promises a surge in competitiveness across the board, ensuring more intense and thrilling encounters for every participating club.
Who gets the four extra Champions League group stage spots?
Qualification for the Champions League will remain contingent upon a club’s final standing in the previous season’s domestic league competition, coupled with the position of each association in the association club coefficient ranking. The criteria for determining access to the tournament will stay consistent with the current season’s framework. However, the introduction of four additional slots for the 2024/25 season will be distributed as follows:
Slot one: This slot will be allocated to the club securing third place in the championship of the association ranked fifth in the access list, determined by the UEFA Association club coefficient ranking.
Slot two: A domestic champion will claim this position by expanding the number of clubs qualifying through the Champions path of the qualifying process from four to five. This process will encompass four qualifying rounds.
This is the way in which the fifth-place team in England / Italy / Spain may be able to qualify. It is likely to go to an English team due to their performances in Europe this season with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool all still competing.
Slots three and four: These positions will be granted to associations based on the collective performance of their clubs in the preceding season. Termed ‘European Performance Spots’, these slots will be awarded to the associations with the most commendable overall performance by their clubs. Specifically, the association club coefficient of the previous season, derived from the cumulative club coefficient points attained by each club from an association divided by the total number of participating clubs from that association, will determine the recipients. Each of the two associations earning these spots will secure an automatic berth in the league phase for the club ranked immediately below those already directly qualified for the league phase from their domestic league.
Will the Europa League and Europa Conference League also be affected?
Yes. Those competitions will take a similar format change to the Champions League. The dates of the games will also change. Matches for the Champions League and Europa League are scheduled to take place from September to January, while the Europa Conference League matches are set to occur from September to December. Each of these UEFA club competitions will have its designated matchweek, during which the other two competitions will not be scheduled, as opposed to the current system of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday all being used for each different competition.
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By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter
