Football is a sport that generates enormous amounts of money internally. Undoubtedly, the biggest organization at the club level in this sport is the Champions League. The Champions League format, which was first implemented in the 1955–1956 season, is undergoing format changes to expand its economy.
So, What Is This New Format?
The biggest factor that will distinguish our new format from the old one is the increased number of teams and matches. By the 2024–2025 season, the tournament, which currently involves 32 teams, will feature 36 teams. Among the 36 selected teams, 34 will be chosen based on their success in local leagues. The remaining two teams will be selected based on their past achievements. Teams will enter the draw with four pots, each consisting of nine teams. At the same time, this system will transition from a group stage to a league status.
With the new format transitioning to league status, teams will play eight matches instead of six. The teams that finish in the top eight of the league will advance to the next round. Clubs ranking between 9th and 24th on the table will play a play-off among themselves to advance to the last 16. The bottom 12 teams on the points table will automatically bid farewell to their European journey. The remaining rounds of the tournament will continue with an elimination system, as in the old format.
Issues with the System
As we know, clubs and players who are successful at the European level often complain about the increased number of matches and the congested schedule. Leading the charge against this system are two technical directors well-known to all of us, Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp. These experienced managers have previously spoken extensively about their complaints regarding the increased match schedule. Jurgen Klopp even stated that he could not spend time with his family due to this system, announcing a break from his managerial career in recent months. Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s Belgian superstar, responded to questions about the congested schedule as follows: “There are a lot of player changes in teams. We play too many matches. There’s the Nations League again in June. Why? Next year, there’s the World Cup in November. We’re going to get injured. Nobody cares about the players anymore. We only have 2 weeks off. That’s not enough to play at a high level for 12 months. If we don’t say anything, it will stay the same.” The new system to be implemented undoubtedly brings some uncertainties with it. The controversial new system will start to be applied in the 2024–2025 season.