IT’S OFFICIAL!
On Tuesday in Vienna, Uefa decided on the final format for the new Champions League from the 2024/25 season.
The group stage will be replaced by a league system with 36 clubs instead of the previous 32. It has been clear since yesterday how the four additional clubs will qualify.
► One place goes to the championship third of the fifth-placed association in the Uefa five-year ranking. Currently this would be France. In the 5-year ranking after this season, Germany has ousted Italy from third place.
► From 2024 there will be five (instead of four) starting places for champions from smaller leagues (such as Switzerland, Denmark, Scotland). The five places will be played out further in a qualifier.
► The last two places are given to associations whose clubs were most successful (total points divided by participants) in all three European competitions (Champions, Europa and Conference League) in the previous season. Currently these would be England and Holland.
All 36 clubs are listed in ONE common table.
There are eight preliminary round matches against eight opponents of different strengths (four times at home, four times away). The top 8 in the overall table are directly in the round of 16. The next 16 of the table meet in play-offs (home and away). The knockout system continues to apply from the round of 16.
