What is the new Champions League format and how does it work?
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football has produced some of the best matches the world has ever seen – but this season will be like no other.
Jude Bellingham capped off his incredible debut season for Real Madrid by helping Los Blancos seal their 15th Champions League triumph in the 2023/24 final.
And the midfield maestro will be hoping his side can fend off English giants Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal to retain the title.
But all teams are set to have a completely new route to the final courtesy of what will now be a league format.
Luckily for fans, SunSport can give a clear explanation on how it will all work below.
What is the new Champions League format?
There will be one league table that all 36 qualified teams will participate in.
Each club will play eight matches in the opening phase – four home games and four away games against seeded opposition in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.
Clubs will only face other sides based on the pot they have been drawn out of and teams cannot face more than two opponents from the same country or from the same association.
The top eight teams in the final table will automatically go through to the last 16.
They will then be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides who were placed ninth to 24th in the table.
Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from all European competitions this season – meaning that they will not drop into the Europa League similar to previous years.
Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.
The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.
How will the knockout stages work?
As mentioned earlier, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.
Then, from the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its previous format, with the final taking place in a neutral venue.
Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the competition and will NOT drop into the Europa League.
What does this mean for the Europa League and Europa Conference League?
Both competitions will see similar changes to those of the Champions League and will both feature 36 teams.
The Europa League will follow the exact same format
While, teams in the Europa Conference League will play six matches against six different opponents in the league phase.