Revolution in the Champions League. Details of Another Change were Revealed

Sky Sports reports on another change that will occur in the Champions League.

The current format of the Champions League is the last in its known format. Currently, 32 participants are involved in this tournament, divided into eight groups. The top 16 teams advance to the knockout stage.

However, massive changes will occur in 2025. The number of participants will increase from 32 to 36 teams.

Most importantly, the group stage will be replaced by a league format. Each team will play against eight teams, and based on the results, a place will be recorded in the overall table for all clubs. The top eight teams with the highest rating will directly advance to the round of 16. In turn, teams ranked 9-16 will compete against opponents ranked 17-24 for a place in the playoffs.

The format change requires adjustments to the drawing system. According to available information, a computer will replace the manual drawing method.

The source reports that UEFA has conducted simulations of the draw in the new format. This will require approximately 900 balls, and the ceremony will last too long.

Therefore, the federation will introduce a hybrid model. First, one club will be manually selected. Then, the computer will choose eight opponents. Thanks to this, the event will last approximately 35 minutes, as in the current format. Sky Sports adds that an English IT company is already working on software that will be responsible for the digital part of the draw.

Published by Patrick Jane
13.03.2024