UEFA released a video about the new system scheduled to be followed in the Champions League competition starting next season.
It was usual for 32 teams to participate in the group stage, but the decision was made to increase the number of participating teams to 36 teams.
Below we learn in quick points about the new Champions League system.
- Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents (4 home and 4 away).
- This round is replaced by the group stage, and the matches are chosen by drawing lots across 4 different pots, each pot containing 9 teams.
- The clubs are divided into the pots based on the UEFA classification at the end of the current season and not on achieving the league title as was previously the case, and the UEFA classification includes the last 5 seasons.
- The 36 teams are ranked according to the points obtained, from first to 36th place, as if it were a league, and in the event of a tie on points, the tie is broken according to the criteria of average goals.
- The top eight teams in this league qualify directly to the round of 16.
- The 16 teams occupying positions from ninth to 24th will play against each other in a home-and-away format, with the winner qualifying for the round of 16.
- Teams 24 to 36 have ended their participation in the European Club Championships for that season.
- Starting from the round of 16, the Champions League returns to its usual format, leading to the final match.
- Some games will be played on Thursday along with Tuesday and Wednesday games.
The competition will start early at the end of August and will end at its usual time between the end of May and the first of June.
As for the distribution of seats for the teams qualifying for the Champions League, there has been a change:
- One seat for the club that ranks third in the country and ranked fifth on the continent.
- Two final seats for the associations whose clubs achieved the best collective results in the previous season (the total number of points obtained divided by the number of participating clubs)
