Champions League Introduces New Format
The highly anticipated draw for the revamped Champions League will take place today at 5 PM (UK time). The competition has undergone significant changes for the 2024/25 season, expanding to include 36 teams.
The most notable alteration is the shift from the traditional group stage to a single league phase. This change will increase the number of fixtures from 125 to 189 and extend the competition until the end of January.
Under the new format, each club will play a minimum of eight league-stage games against eight different opponents. The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stages, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in two-legged playoffs for a place in the last 16. Clubs ranked 25-36 will be eliminated from all competitions.