Champions League: What You Need to Know About the New Season with 36 Teams

What's changing in the Champions League?

The UEFA Champions League is expanding to 36 teams from the 2024-25 season.

This will be the first major change to the format of the competition since 1997.

The new format will see the group stage replaced by a single league table, with all 36 teams playing each other twice.

How will the new format work?

The 36 teams will be divided into four pots, based on their UEFA coefficients.

The teams in Pot 1 will be the champions of the top eight ranked leagues in Europe.

The teams in Pots 2, 3 and 4 will be the runners-up, third-placed teams and fourth-placed teams from the top leagues, as well as the winners of the Europa League and the Champions League play-off round.

What are the benefits of the new format?

The new format will provide more opportunities for teams to qualify for the Champions League.

It will also make the group stage more competitive, as all teams will be playing against each other.

The new format will also make it more difficult for the big clubs to dominate the competition, as they will no longer be able to rely on playing against weaker teams in the group stage.

What are the drawbacks of the new format?

The new format will mean that there will be more matches played in the Champions League.

This could lead to fixture congestion for the big clubs, who will already be playing in their domestic leagues and cups.

The new format could also make it more difficult for smaller clubs to qualify for the Champions League.

Overall, the new format of the Champions League is a positive change.

It will provide more opportunities for teams to qualify for the competition and make the group stage more competitive.

However, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks of the new format, such as fixture congestion and the potential for smaller clubs to be squeezed out.