UEFA has announced a remodeling in the current structure of club competitions.
As the sports newspaper Marca assures after a period in which there has been a dialogue with all the affected sectors. The changes come after an ambitious and comprehensive consultation process with the world of European football.
As of the 2024/205 season, the Uefa Champions League today , the Europa League and the Europa Conference League will be affected. The transformation guarantees the future of European football at all levels. And it satisfies the changing expectations and needs of the ecosystem involved. It reaffirms the agreement reached based on the principle of open and transparent competition. Sporting merit is extolled throughout Europe, without forgetting and at the same time supporting the different national leagues.
Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, assures that the new format supports the status and future of national football throughout the European continent. He guarantees that performance in matches is the basis for classification and consolidates solidarity and sportsmanship. In addition, the growth and improvement of all sports teams is valued. Depending on the results obtained in the different sporting events.
Soccer is the king sport. There are millions of people who practice it throughout the planet. So UEFA’s job is to protect it and improve it in different facets. Support national federations, leagues, clubs, players and fans. And dialogue with all these actors for any change or new trend.
Other aspects that will be improved are the rebalancing of the access list, days and times of the matches, the seeding selection process, the proper format for the finals, as well as the coefficients and financial distribution.
Likewise, UEFA will sign its commitment in economic terms with European football. To do this, it will ensure greater financial solidarity for a wide range of clubs. This will support the economic and social base on which football is governed in Europe.
In addition, the health of the players will be protected in all competitions and categories. In fact, conversations will be initiated with the different interested parties to reliably address this matter.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
Teams grow in the new format. It goes from 32 to 36 in the UEFA Champions League. And the usual group stage changes to a single league stage that includes all participating teams. In this sense, each club ensures a minimum of 10 games against 10 different competitors. Five in their field and five in the facilities of the rival team.
The top eight clubs in the league automatically qualify for the knockout stage. The teams that hold the ninth to twenty-fourth place, play in a two-leg play-off to reach the round of 16.
Qualification for the UEFA Champions League continues in the open and is earned based on a team’s playing performance in domestic competitions. In addition, the matches prior to the final continue to be played during the week, recognizing the size of the national match calendar throughout the European continent.