The Champions League receives a makeover: A glimpse at the changes

The 2024-25 Champions League kicked off Tuesday in a new format with 36 groups as an alternative of 32.

The revamped competitors options a league system during which every workforce performs eight video games, changing the outdated group stage with eight teams of 4 groups.

Here’s what to learn about the new format:

How does it work?

Out goes the conventional group-stage format, with 32 groups drawn in eight teams of 4, that the Champions League used for 21 seasons.

In comes a single-standings league — 36 groups every taking part in eight video games in opposition to eight completely different opponents by January. Teams get a balanced schedule going through two opponents from every of 4 seeding pots.

The high eight in the standings go direct to the spherical of 16 in March. They might be seeded in a tennis-style match bracket with no separate attracts for every spherical till the remaining.

Teams ranked ninth to twenty fourth go into a knockout playoffs spherical in February. The backside 12 groups are eradicated.

In the playoffs spherical, groups ranked Nos. 9-16 are seeded in the draw to play second legs at dwelling in opposition to unseeded groups Nos. 17-24.

Why change such a profitable competitors?

The easy reply is golf equipment needed extra money.

The Champions League showcases the highest high quality play in world soccer. It has let UEFA steer billions of euros ({dollars}) of prize cash raised from international broadcasting and sponsor offers to golf equipment who pay the highest switch charges and salaries.

Those golf equipment additionally needed to play extra of what they thought to be status video games in opposition to a larger vary of high-quality opponents.

The group stage, golf equipment stated, grew to become too repetitive with solely three opponents and lacked drama. More video games in opposition to stronger opponents can be extra valued by broadcasters, viewers and new followers worldwide.

Their leverage over UEFA was doubtlessly launching their very own breakaway competitors. Indeed, then-leaders of the influential European Club Association in early 2021 have been negotiating Champions League reform with UEFA and likewise plotting their very own Super League.

The Super League was launched by 12 Spanish, Italian and English golf equipment in April 2021 and failed inside 48 hours amid a backlash in England by followers and threats of presidency laws.

Still, the Champions League format formed largely by insurgent Super League golf equipment was broadly accredited one 12 months later by UEFA.

What are the upsides and dangers of the new format?

The 36 groups are assured extra money and brand-building publicity to a international viewers. Players ought to get extra higher-quality video games to speed up their improvement.

The further video games — 189 complete in the competitors in comparison with 125 for the previous 20 years — can verify the Champions League as the pinnacle of membership soccer.

Two further match rounds in January provides the Champions League a new foothold in the more and more packed soccer calendar. Though, might it overload gamers after many appeared fatigued at the 2024 European Championship, and forward of FIFA launching its month-long Club World Cup subsequent June?

Eight of the Champions League round-of-16 groups may have performed 10 video games to get there, in comparison with simply six in the outdated format. Europe will ship 12 groups — 11 of them taking part in on this Champions League version — to the new FIFA membership match, every taking part in at least three and as much as seven video games in the United States subsequent summer time.

Will the further prize cash be spent properly? Spiraling spending on participant transfers has slowed on this European summer time, although high gamers’ salaries nonetheless escalate.

Mid-ranked golf equipment in high home leagues, plus leagues in lower-ranked international locations warn of the Champions League creating a larger wealth hole in European soccer and driving extra aggressive imbalance.