FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The UEFA Champions League will undergo a significant transformation starting from the 2024-2025 season. This change, known as the "Swiss model", marks a departure from the traditional group stage format and introduces a more comprehensive and dynamic structure.
Under the new system, the Champions League will expand to include 36 teams in its group stage, up from the current 32. This arrangement allows for a wider representation of clubs, ensuring a more competitive and attractive tournament. The core of this reform lies in the league stage matches, where each participating team is guaranteed to play eight matches - four at home and four away.
This set-up is in stark contrast to the previous format, where teams were divided into eight groups of four, playing six matches in a doubleheader. In the revamped format, teams will not face three opponents twice, but will instead compete against eight different teams, ensuring a variety of matches and reducing the predictability of matches.
An exciting new era for European club football awaits ????
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 4, 2024
Here's how the #UCL will look from 2024/25 ???? pic.twitter.com/mEffFOpX2O
These matches are determined through a draw which places the 36 teams into four pots based on their UEFA coefficients, with each club playing two teams from each pot. This method aims to balance the competition and create more "big matches" at the beginning of the tournament, increasing its appeal and intensity. The final standings will be compiled into a single league table, with the top eight teams automatically advancing to the round of 16.
Teams finishing ninth and 24th will enter a double-elimination play-off to secure one of the remaining eight places in the last 16, adding another layer of excitement and uncertainty in competition. Notably, there will be no home defense in the knockout rounds, setting the stage for potential domestic clashes in the latter stages of the tournament.
This regulation also deals with the allocation of additional places in the Champions League. Two places will be awarded to clubs from the best performing leagues in Europe, based on their performance in the current season, while another place will go to the third-placed team in the league, ranked fifth in the coefficient of UEFA. In addition, the qualifying route for the champions will see an increase from four to five teams, ensuring wider participation from across the continent.
" UEFA has clearly shown that we are fully committed to respecting the fundamental values of sport and upholding the key principle of open competitions, with qualification based on sporting merit, fully in line with the European sporting values and model based on solidarity . I am really pleased that it was a unanimous decision by the UEFA Executive Committee, with the European Club Association, the European Leagues and the national associations all agreeing to the proposal made. Another proof that European football is more united than ever" , said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during the presentation of the new project.
Lini një Përgjigje