The updated version of the Champions League is about to begin in September with 36 clubs featuring in the competition, an increase from 32 under the old format. The radical changes don‘t only mean more games for the players, but also a new format, with all these changes ‘accidentally‘ coming after a threat from the ‘European Super League‘ project. In today‘s draw, which was for the first time done by the computer, there were some interesting games, but remember, clubs won‘t play the same teams both home and away like they used to. There were four pots with nine teams, which then learned their opponents and schedule. The ceremony in Monaco started with a special reward for Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the competition five times and is the Champions League top scorer with 140 goals and then the draw begin. It was a total mayhem as the clubs not only had to look who will be their opponents, but also had to see which clubs will they play at home and which one away. Maybe the following tweets can give you the clearest idea who is playing who and on whose ground. The new format means that all 36 teams will play in one group, but before the draw, there were four pots with nine teams each. In the following photos, it will be easier to track all the clubs looking at these four pots.✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/4bwEU4zCqq— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024 ✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 2 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/DHAAIG5uxB— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024 ✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 3 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/6xQDCTNtdL— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024 ✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 4 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/G22WtdPeMb— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024 League phaseMatchday 1: 17–19 September 2024Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025Matchday 8: 29 January 2025Knockout stageKnockout round play-offs: 11/12 & 18/19 February 2025Round of 16: 4/5 & 11/12 March 2025Quarter-finals: 8/9 & 15/16 April 2025Semi-finals: 29/30 April & 6/7 May 2025Final: 31 May 2025Since 2003, the Champions League featured 32 clubs split into eight groups of four, with the top two from each section advancing to the last 16. That has now changed radically, and from this season the 36 clubs will be pooled together in one league, in a so-called ‘Swiss system’ more commonly associated with chess. Before, participating teams played six games in the group stage, facing each opponent home and away. Now clubs will each have eight games. The 36 teams were split into four seeded pots of nine. Every club will play two teams from each pot, one at home and one away. No team will come up against another club from the same domestic league as them, and every club can only face a maximum of two teams from any one country.The defending champions’ opponents for the league phase 🧐#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/EtK8RuiElx— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2024 Whereas in past years the group stage ended in December, the expansion of the Champions League means the two extra matchdays will be staged in January. The 36 clubs will be ranked together in the one league, with the top eight all progressing to the last 16 and the format of the competition from that point on remaining the same. However, it will be seeded, taking into account positions in the league phase. In addition, a play-off round will be introduced, with the teams finishing from 9th to 24th in the league phase going through to a two-legged knock-out tie to decide the remaining spots in the last 16. These play-off ties will be seeded. The bottom 12 teams in the league phase will be eliminated, with no access to the second-tier Europa League, as was the case in the past.##NAJAVA_MECA_8298206##
