What the new Champions League format means for EPL teams

After threats were made towards the supremacy of the Champions League with the announcement of the European Super League, there was only one way UEFA could go to appease its top guns — change the UCL format to include more teams in the competition.

And taking cue from the proposed European Super League format, the new Champions League is stylized in the shape of a domestic league format, thus discarding the Group Stage qualification format for a league based one as a route to the knockout stages.

In a bold move set to reshape European football, UEFA confirms its implementation will take place starting from the 2024/25 season.

This revamped structure promises a significant expansion, welcoming an additional four clubs into the mix and a staggering 50% surge in match numbers.

The driving force behind this shift appears twofold. Not only does it offer participating clubs a boost in prize money, but it also aims to toughen the schedules of top-tier teams, an obvious effort by UEFA to retain the allegiance of Europe’s premier clubs in light of the persistent specter of another proposed European Super League.

Recollections of the seismic 2021 breakaway league proposal, which had swayed influential clubs, including the entire ‘big six’ of the Premier League, still linger.

However, the ensuing uproar and widespread protests quashed those plans. Yet, the resurgence of the European Super League loomed on the horizon as recently as October 2022, with intentions to relaunch under the aegis of A22 Sports Management, spearheaded by CEO Bernd Reichart.

While the majority of clubs remain in alignment with UEFA, the intricacies of the new Champions League format have sparked bewilderment among stakeholders.

The crux of the alteration involves a consolidation into a single group comprising 36 teams, supplanting the current setup of eight groups with four teams each.

This transformation will entail every team engaging in eight matches during the group stage, evenly split between home and away fixtures.

Post the group stage, a table will determine the top eight squads, directly advancing to the round of 16. Meanwhile, teams ranking between ninth and 24th will contest a playoff for the remaining eight spots.

Subsequently, the tournament will proceed conventionally, with knockout stages comprising two-legged encounters in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, culminating in the prestigious final slated for 2025 at Bayern Munich’s illustrious Allianz Arena.

The rejigged format hints at a potential boon for Premier League clubs, with prospects of increased representation. Additional slots could be allocated to the two top-performing European nations from the prior season, along with a third slot earmarked for the fifth-ranked nation in UEFA standings.

However, the premature exits of Manchester United and Newcastle United from this season’s Champions League raise uncertainties about the Premier League securing an extra spot in the upcoming tournament.