The UEFA Executive Committee today approved a new format for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season.
The reforms come after an extensive consultation across the football family and received unanimous backing from the ECA Board and the UEFA Club Competitions Committee (made of a majority of club representatives) last Friday.
The changes made are designed to secure the positive future of European football at every level and meet the evolving needs of all its stakeholders. Unequivocally confirming joint commitment to the principle of open competition and sporting merit across the continent, the common purpose has also been to sustain domestic leagues.
Commenting on the new format, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, said:
"This new format supports the status and future of the domestic game throughout Europe as well. It retains the principle that domestic performance should be the key to qualification and reconfirms the principles of solidarity right through the game and of open competition.
Aleksander Čeferin at Monday's UEFA Executive Committee meeting
Aleksander Čeferin at Monday's UEFA Executive Committee meeting
"This evolved format will still keep alive the dream of any team in Europe to participate in the UEFA Champions League thanks to results obtained on the pitch and it will enable long-term viability, prosperity, and growth for everyone in European football, not just a tiny, self-selected cartel.
"Football is a social and cultural treasure, enriched with values, traditions and emotions shared across our continent. As the governing body and responsible stewards of the European game, it is UEFA’s role to safeguard this legacy while leading positive future development of football in Europe for national associations, leagues, clubs, players, and fans at every level. This is why we had an extensive consultation process over the last two years which led to the unanimous backing of our proposal and we are convinced that these reforms achieve those objectives."
Further decisions regarding matters such as the rebalancing of the access list, match dates, seeding system, format for the finals, coefficients and financial distribution will be made by the end of the year and potential adjustments to the format approved today could still be made if necessary.
At the same time, UEFA will also reaffirm its strong financial commitment to the whole of European football and initiate steps to ensure that greater financial solidarity will be delivered to a wider spectrum of clubs who do not participate in UEFA club competitions. This will reinforce the solid foundation on which the game in Europe is built.
UEFA will also open a dialogue with all relevant stakeholders with a view to proposing safeguards and protections for players’ health across competitions at all levels.
Format details
Taking the total number of teams from 32 to 36 in the UEFA Champions League, the biggest change will see a transformation from the traditional group stage to a single league stage including all participating teams. Every club will now be guaranteed a minimum of 10 league stage games against 10 different opponents (five home games, five away) rather than the previous six matches against three teams, played on a home and away basis.
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stage, while the teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition.
Similar format changes will also be applied to the UEFA Europa League (8 matches in the league stage) and UEFA Europa Conference League (6 matches in the league stage). Subject to further discussions and agreements, these two competitions may also be expanded to a total of 36 teams each in the league stage.
Qualification for the UEFA Champions League will continue to be open and earned through a team’s performance in domestic competitions.
One of the additional places will go to the club ranked third in the championship of the association in fifth position in the UEFA national association ranking. Another will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the so-called “Champions Path”.
The final two places will go to the clubs with the highest club coefficient over the last five years that have not qualified for the Champions League group stage but have qualified either for the Champions League qualification phase, the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
All games before the final will still be played midweek, recognising the importance of the domestic calendar of games across Europe.
collinseah007
1534
Meanwhile UEFA champions league group of death next season
Wehatechelsea
1170
LIKE THIS FOR SUPER LEAGUE TO GO #cancelsuperleague
Vababiouy
740
desperation at its best
Abhaynishad
735
Cristiano and messi after realising that their dominance in champion league is no longer valuable
sliekhay89
509
Has super hinder the uefa and fifa not to continue their work and competition... First and formost we all know football is for the poor but nowadays its never for thr poor anymore bcus u only see what u can see but here in so many countries I've been to do a text none of this clubs has rejected me for the way u play. They all see thr talent in me and knows I can play good football but they never signed me and up until now I haven't got a club or team to play for even tho I played with Nigerian under 17. What do u think makes them not to sign me when they all praise me for my footballing talent? I've been to Ghana, Senegal, ivory Coast and Nigeria but still not even a club has manage to say u not good enough but acknowledge how good I'm. U see the players like de brunye, pogba, cr7, messi, mbape, neylmar, kroos, Bruno etc they all earn big pay package which even the doctors, bankers, ministers, president, pilots, military, a police, etc don't even come close in terms of what u those players earn. Worst of it if their contract coming to close end and the club still want their services those players demand more bigger contract and packages. We should be understanding now that football is not just a game but a very big business in the world which needs billions to be able to run ur club as u want if u want if u want to compete at thr highest level. In the other case what is the UEFA AND FIFA ROLE exactly? Are they also financing in thr budgets of the clubs? What do they bring to the table exactly? Yes we all know the smaller clubs are where big clubs get the players from but it has not stop those smaller clubs to continue on their part which is what pleases them. Why do u think dormund Leipzig Francfort salzburg rennes Monaco lyon Westham Leicester etc sell the best players to big clubs in the top 5 leagues in the world? Why players around their 30s still wnay big package of pay? Why players around 16,17,18 etc looking for big agent to make them play for big clubs and earn big pay? Football is business and we need to accept it and thr EUROPEAN SUPPER LEAGUE is only the gains of those big clubs paying those big pay to the players coach and all the workers in the club. As a businessman or businesswoman u will alwyas look to profit more which is what those players are doing but I don't know why u all blaming thr clubs to go along with their plans.. Uefa and fifa only gaining what those clubs brings forth and what is their effort to earn all that? Are u telling u have u business and sum1 else tells u how to handle it or run it is the way bcus thsts what fifa and uefa are doing and earning money from. The only bad effect I see here is the players who will he run out by playing much more football matches than they already used to but as for me if they uefa and fifa can come together and let Europen supper league take place it would be nice bcus then we all know ehsid really the very best among the best. Have u thought if having to watch Manchester United vs Real Madrid or Juventus vs Barcelona every mid-week?. I'm very sure players will gladly welcome European supper league to test themselves and know they levels with much more respect to one another... Let's supper league take place in all in for it
Youngking10
486
Ronaldo and messi should just retired tomorrow so that they won't take part of this shit super league
richie_m12
429
I benefit nothing for being a fan of a certain football club,,Whether USL come to materialize or not, definitely there will be teams to watch. whatever they decide, as long as football game is there, I'm ok with it
pekadnptu
399
WHY FANS OPPOSE SUPER LEAGUE Idea of few big clubs monopolizing football for their gain without any sporting merit for qualification or relegation WHY UEFA, FIFA & OTHER FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS OPPOSE SUPER LEAGUE Because they aren't getting any money out of it
humadcast
352
Super League 1 - 1 UEFA
varun12390
342
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
Zoplnopstu
316
Meanwhile Van De Beek after his international carrier is on the threat without even playing for Man United
Brightberry
301
No League will be like the Champions League.. The BEST league ever
GodinJohn
154
Arsenal be like wait oooooo are we going to be facing all this teams
boayjr
102
your love for the game is what you people say, while UEFA doesn't want to loose it's revenue sources
lilshomy
9
Meanwhile UEFA champions league group of death next season
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come on dude atleast have respect for westham they should be the group leaders