Champions League: New Format and Renewed Calendar

The Champions League is back! Format and new features for the season

The UEFA Champions League returns with a renewed and exciting format. After the success of the league phase last season, it’s time to review the novelties and changes that this competition holds for us.

The Champions League draw scenario.What’s new in the Champions League format?Last season marked a milestone with the most significant format change in 21 years for Europe’s top club competition. Previously, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. The top two from each group advanced to the round of 16, the third went to the UEFA Europa League, and the fourth was eliminated. Now, the competition will have 36 teams, and there will no longer be groups. Instead, the “League Phase” of the Champions League is implemented, where all clubs form a single classification table.How does the League Phase work?

• The teams will play eight games, four at home and four away.
• The teams ranked between positions 25 and 36 will be eliminated in January.
• The 16 teams ranked between positions 9 and 24 will compete in a playoff phase in February to secure their place in the round of 16.
• The eight best teams will advance directly to the round of 16, which will be played in March.

Once a team is eliminated, it has no chance of continuing in the Europa League or Conference League. From the playoffs onwards, the competition maintains the double-legged knockout format until the semi-finals, with a traditional single-match final, but with limited draws.

Key Match Dates

There will be two matches at 5:45 p.m. UK / 12:45 p.m. ET and the rest at 8 p.m. UK / 3 p.m. ET. However, on the last day of the League Phase, all 18 matches will start at 8 p.m. UK / 3 p.m. ET. UEFA has extended the European calendar to 10 midweek matchdays, instead of the previous six. The Champions League will occupy eight matchdays, and the remaining two will be used for the Europa League and the Conference League. The Champions League group stage will end in January, instead of December, with six matches before Christmas and the last two matchdays on January 20-21 and 28. With the new format generating multiple high-level matches, UEFA will seek to distribute the most attractive matches throughout the matchdays.How do the elimination rounds and the bracket work?UEFA has simplified the draws in the knockout rounds. Now, only two draws are required: one for the playoff phase (January 30) and another for the round of 16 (February 27), which will complete the bracket. There is no country protection, so, for example, Liverpool could face Chelsea in the round of 16. The strength of the teams in the expanded tournament could result in some renowned teams not reaching the top eight, which could generate spectacular matchups in the early stages of the knockout phase. The first draw, on January 30, will define the playoff matchups, where each team ranked between 9th and 24th will have two possible opponents. The result will be fixed in one of two possible positions in the bracket. The clubs ranked between 9 and 16 will play the second leg at home. From this point on, the position in the bracket is defined for these teams. The second draw, on February 27, will define the matchups for the round of 16, with the qualified teams ranked between 1 and 8 placed in one of two possible positions. The complete bracket will be defined until the final.How has UEFA changed the home advantage in the knockout stages?UEFA has modified the way in which it is determined who plays the second leg at home in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Now, the venue for the second leg is based on performance in the League Phase. Teams ranked between 1 and 4 are guaranteed to play the second leg at home in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, if they get there. Teams ranked between 1 and 2 also have home advantage priority in the semi-finals.