Top clubs in Europe will learn their fate today when the draw for this season’s new-look UEFA Champions League takes place.
An enlarged league stage with 36 clubs will be introduced this season and has replaced the previous group stage format.
With each team playing four games at home and four away during the league phase, the new format offers more games for all parties involved.
The top eight teams in the league advance straight to the competition’s round of 16, with each of those eight games being played against a different opponent.
Based on their UEFA coefficient, the 36 participating clubs will be seeded into four pots. However, the complex new process will leave many supporters wondering what path lies ahead for their clubs.
Teams from the same country were kept apart in the previous group stage structure, and this also holds true in the current version.
Teams are not allowed to play domestic opponents during the league phase. Furthermore, they may be drawn up against no more than two sides from the same nation.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: The 36 clubs competing in the new format of the Champions League.
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— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) August 28, 2024
36 clubs will play eight games in the new league phase, four of which will be played at home and four away, against opponents chosen by the new automated program in charge of the competition. There will be two opponents chosen from each of the four seedings pots.
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Teams ranked nine through twenty-four compete in a knockout playoff match. The eight winners will advance to the round of 16. Teams occupying positions 25 through 36 are disqualified from the tournament.
During the knockout stage, things return to a more known structure, with home and away matches played before the final match.
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