Champions League: Format for revamped competition revealed amid European Super League backlash

Similar changes will apply to the Europa League, and will come into effect in the 2024/25 season

Uefa has revealed the format for a revamped version of the Champions League, starting in 2024/25.

Amid widespread criticism of the European Super League, a planned breakaway competition featuring 12 of the biggest clubs in Europe, Uefa announced the upcoming changes to the structure of the Champions League in a statement released on Monday.

“The Uefa Executive Committee today approved a new format for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season,” the statement read.

“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.”

Earlier on Monday, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin threatened to ban from Uefa and Fifa competitions any clubs and players who take part in the Super League.

Ceferin said of the revamped Champions League format: “This new format 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.

“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. 

“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.”

Per Uefa, the format will be as follows:

• The total number of teams in the Champions League will increase from 32 to 36

• The group stage will be replaced with a single league stage including all participating teams

• Every club will play at least 10 league-stage games against 10 different opponents (five home games, five away)

• The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stage, while the teams finishing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure their path to the last 16

• Similar format changes will also be applied to the Europa League (8 matches in the league stage) and Europa Conference League (6 matches in the league stage)

• Subject to further discussions and agreements, those two competitions may also be expanded to a total of 36 teams each in the league stage

• Qualification for the 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 co-efficient 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