Significant changes are on the horizon for the Champions League in the upcoming 2024-25 season, as UEFA has confirmed a new format.
The revamped structure will feature 36 teams in the group stage, arranged in a single league table. Each team will engage in eight matches, four at home and four away, employing the innovative ‘Swiss Model’ where every game involves different opponents.
Following the group stage, the top eight teams will advance directly to the last 16, while teams positioned ninth to 24th will enter a play-off round. Notably, there exists an intriguing possibility, albeit unlikely, wherein seven Premier League teams could qualify for the Champions League, paving the way for as many as 11 English teams to partake in European competition.
As outlined by Skysports-report, the traditional method persists for England’s top four teams, along with the leading quartets from Spain’s LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A, automatically securing spots in the Champions League group stage. An additional twist is introduced as the two leagues with the best coefficients this season earn an extra place in the group stage for the subsequent season.
This departure from the old system, where a maximum of five clubs from a single association could partake in the Champions League, opens up the prospect of seven English clubs qualifying.
This includes the top five in the Premier League, along with the victors of the Champions League and Europa League. Consequently, the prospect of having 11 English teams participating in European competitions next season becomes plausible, encompassing the customary seven, an extra Champions League berth based on coefficient rankings, and the titleholders of all three European competitions.