UEFA introduces new format for Champions League from next season, including league phase and 36 teams in total
The Union of European Footballing Associations (UEFA), have announced the new format for Europe's premier club competition, the Champions League, which will be implemented from the 2024-25 season and onwards.
The announcement video from UEFA (via Fabrizio Romano) details the changes that they will be implementing in the Champions League format. The current 32-team group stage will be replaced by a singular 36-team league phase in not just the Champions League, but also the Europa and Europa Conference League.
Each team will be drawn against eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots, playing four games at home and four away.
The teams that finish first through eighth will qualify directly for the Round of 16. The teams finishing ninth through 24th must face each other in a knockout playoff round to join the top eight teams in the pre-quarterfinals.
Teams that finish 25th to 36th are eliminated directly from all competitions, as opposed to the previous system of third placed group finishers dropping down to the lower European league's preliminary playoff round.
The plans for the re-formatting were introduced right after the European Super League debacle in 2021, when top European clubs threatened to break away from UEFA and establish their own exclusive league.
"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.
The governing body believe that this brand new format will usher in "a thrilling new future for European club football". Whether that statement materializes into reality, only time will tell.
Bayern Munich at highest risk in return legs as Real Madrid, Man City and PSG look set to progress
The top four clubs in UEFA's club rankings are all set to return to action in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 later this week, but one of them is on the verge of a highly improbable elimination.
Manchester City hold a comfortable 3-1 lead from their game away in Copenhagen. With stars Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in top form, the defending champions are expected to cruise into the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid hold a slim 1-0 lead from their first leg matchup in Leipzig, courtesy of Brahim Diaz's stunning curler. They have looked shaky in recent games, dropping points to Valencia and Rayo Vallecano, but are known to bring their A-game in Europe's premier competition.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is dealing with the imminent departure of superstar Kylian Mbappe in the summer. The Frenchman's tap-in and a stunner from young forward Bradley Barcola have them sitting 2-0 up in their Round of 16 clash as they travel to San Sebastian to potentially confirm their place in the quarters.
The worst-placed team is Bayern Munich, who were stunned 1-0 by Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. They are on a terrible run of form, having won only two games out of their last six, and face a potentially early exit from the competition that they have won six times.
The Champions League returns for the second leg of the Round of 16 fixtures on Tuesday, March 5.