Champions League new format 2024-25

Summary:

• 36 teams, probably 5 from Premier League & La Liga.
• Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents, four home, four away.
• Top 8 automatically qualify for last 16.
• Next 16 have play-offs to determine the other last 16 places.
• Bottom 20 eliminated.

Unsure whether losing 8 play-off teams enter Europa League ... apparently having same format.
Unsure how the 8 opponents will be selected ... random?

Talk of a Swiss model whatever that is.

https://theathletic.com/4523470/2023...rmat-new-2024/

I've got used to it cos it may be the case that sometimes I play FM23 on my phone.

I don't think it's better tbh, and it is demonstrably less fair as different teams play different teams. I suppose 'the luck of the draw' has long been a trait of cups though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JamesWales

I've got used to it cos it may be the case that sometimes I play FM23 on my phone.

I don't think it's better tbh, and it is demonstrably less fair as different teams play different teams. I suppose 'the luck of the draw' has long been a trait of cups though.

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There will be seeding based on a performance coefficient:

UEFA will create four pots of nine teams, almost certainly based upon the five-year club coefficient.

Each team will play a selection of 8 teams (four home, four away) from each pool to create a fixture list of roughly equal strength.

The teams in Pot 1 will draw two other clubs from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from pot 3 and another two from Pot 4.

Teams from the same association cannot play each other.


So it looks as though the strongest clubs will only play two other similarly ranked clubs.

Every team will play two other teams from each pot.

If Man City drew Bayern Munich & Real Madrid from pot 1 then one fixture would be home and the other away.

Potential to be a bit more interesting. The groups are usually quite dull.

More knockout rounds would be better but they aren't ever doing that of course.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Forest Green Bluebird

There will be seeding based on a performance coefficient:

UEFA will create four pots of nine teams, almost certainly based upon the five-year club coefficient.

Each team will play a selection of 8 teams (four home, four away) from each pool to create a fixture list of roughly equal strength.

The teams in Pot 1 will draw two other clubs from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from pot 3 and another two from Pot 4.

Teams from the same association cannot play each other.


So it looks as though the strongest clubs will only play two other similarly ranked clubs.

Every team will play two other teams from each pot.

If Man City drew Bayern Munich & Real Madrid from pot 1 then one fixture would be home and the other away.

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Yeah it's not completely random but it's still not as equal as four teams all playing eachother home and away.

So two more games to be fitted into an already crowded schedule for the qualifiers.
Is it clear where the four additional qualifiers come from? Presumably the "big" leagues.
Will there be more "qualifiers" in the other competitions too?
Plenty of extra football but surely at some point someone has to decide that we have enough?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JumpersforGoalposts

So two more games to be fitted into an already crowded schedule for the qualifiers.
Is it clear where the four additional qualifiers come from? Presumably the "big" leagues.
Will there be more "qualifiers" in the other competitions too?
Plenty of extra football but surely at some point someone has to decide that we have enough?

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More games = more £££.
Thhey'llfit them in somehow, and won't give a sh1t about congestion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bobh

More games = more £££.
Thhey'llfit them in somehow, and won't give a sh1t about congestion.

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Indeed, and yet even UEFA are starting to baulk at the current added time initiatives. https://www.theguardian.com/football...ampions-league

Whatever they do it just means there will be more games before the competition really starts. Under the current format I don’t watch until the knock out stages begin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bobh

More games = more £££.
Thhey'llfit them in somehow, and won't give a sh1t about congestion.

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Originally UEFA were considering a 10 game format (5 home & 5 away) ... clearly that was considered too much.

Currently teams have to play 6 group stage matches before the last 16 knock-out.

One of the most boring comps out there - I’ll tune in for the semi’s and the final.