A brand new season of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) will kickstart tonight (September 17) as 36 teams take the field in the league stage aiming for ultimate glory. However, this time around the competition comes back in a brand new format with major changes in how the first round functions.
For starters, European football's biggest club competition has expanded to a 36-team competition. Before this season, 32 teams used to take part in the group stage.
What Is The New UEFA Champions League Format And What Has Changed?
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The biggest change comes in the form of a swiss-system league stage format instead of a group. This means that all 36 teams will be competing in one league rather than being divided into groups of four each. Each team will now play eight matches in the first round instead of six with four at home and away.
Moreover, no team will face each other more than once in the first round. Every club will face a different opponent in their eight games. The draw was determined through a special artificial intelligence (AI) software in which all teams were awarded eight different opponents.
The teams were placed together in four pots of eight each according to UEFA Coefficient. In the draw, each team was given two teams from each pot with all teams set to play one of them at home and one away.
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Another big change is that now matches will be played on Thursdays in the Champions League and not just reserved for Tuesday's and Wednesday's.
Who Will Qualify?
Instead of 16 teams, the new format ensures a total of 24 teams will qualify for the knockouts. After the end of the league stage, the top 8 teams in the league table will directly qualify for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the teams ranked from ninth to 24th place will qualify for a preliminary knockout round. The 16 teams will face each other in a two-legged knockout match, with the eight winners securing a place in the pre-quarterfinal.