Football News: Champions League Undergoes Major Revamp for 2024/25 Season
The UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier club football competition, is set to undergo a significant transformation ahead of the 2024/25 season. The changes will see the number of matches in the new format increase from 125 to 189, as the league phase will now be completed by the end of January instead of during December.
Key highlights of the new Champions League format:
- The tournament will see a shift from the traditional group stage to a single league phase, with all 36 participating teams guaranteed a minimum of eight league-stage games against eight different opponents.
- The top eight sides in the league will automatically qualify for the knockout stages, while teams finishing 9th to 24th will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16.
- At least 10 of the 36 clubs in the new league phase will come from Italy and Germany, reflecting their strong performances in European competitions.
- Matches will be played across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, becoming the new norm for Europe’s elite club competition.
- The Champions League winner will have played a total of 17 games across the competition.
These sweeping changes to the Champions League format mark the first time since 1992 that the tournament has undergone such a significant revamp. The new structure aims to provide more guaranteed matches for participating clubs while maintaining the prestige and drama of the competition.
Similar changes will also be implemented in the Europa League and the newly renamed UEFA Conference League, with 36 teams in each competition and adapted league phase formats.
“The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season will culminate in the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31, 2025. Football enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting and expanded European club football landscape in the coming seasons.”
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