Champions League format revamped as UEFA makes significant changes
UEFA has pressed ahead with plans for a 36-team Champions League, increasing the number of group-stage matches from six to 10, and making significant changes to the qualification process.
On Sunday, six English clubs, and 12 in total, announced that they had agreed to join a new European Super League (ESL).
UEFA is hoping to roll it out for the 2024/25 campaign.
How will the new Champions League format work?
The 36 teams will each play 10 matches instead of the current six in the group phase, with opponents selected on a seeded basis under a so-called ‘Swiss model’. The teams finishing in the top eight qualify for the last 16 with those ranked ninth to 24th playing off for the final eight knockout spots.
UEFA wants the additional four matchdays to be exclusive for the Champions League and spread across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings to maximise on broadcast income.
The four extra places would be awarded as follows – one extra spot to the country ranked fifth in the UEFA co-efficient, currently France, the domestic champions with the best historical team co-efficient who do not qualify automatically, and controversially the two teams with the best historical co-efficient who have not qualified for the Champions League via domestic performance, but have done enough to qualify for the Europa League or the new Europa Conference League.
What do the clubs and players think?
UEFA consulted with the European Club Association (ECA), which is widely regarded as representing the views of Europe’s biggest teams, and the European Leagues group which represents over 30 domestic competitions across the continent.
European Leagues says the competition is too big – the proposal takes it from 125 matches to 225 – and has proposed eight matches instead of 10 in the league stage. It has also criticised the qualification method, agreeing that France should get one extra place but that the other three berths should be reserved for domestic champions.
The ECA gave its approval to the plans, with its president Andrea Agnelli describing the proposed format as “ideal”. The Juventus chief likes the fact that the Swiss model offers the flexibility to go beyond 10 matches in the future.
Clearly, though, some were not convinced by the plans, with 12 of Europe's most high-profile clubs - including Juventus - deciding to sign up for the ESL instead.
World players’ union FIFPRO were also involved in the consultation process.
What’s the Premier League’s position?
It has not commented publicly but is understood to have concerns with the impact the qualification proposal could have on the league’s sporting integrity. A team finishing seventh in the Premier League could ‘leapfrog’ teams finishing fifth and sixth and land in a more lucrative competition, purely based on historical performance.
Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow has criticised that approach, while Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish says the changes would be “devastating” for English football.
What about the FA?
The Football Association raised concerns over the impact on the domestic calendar – chiefly the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
UEFA’s proposal includes European competitions spilling into January – a month traditionally reserved for domestic club football. EFL chairman Rick Parry said that the proposals “pose a major threat” to the League Cup’s existence.
UEFA’s plan for further exclusive dates places further pressure on the domestic calendar.
Why is UEFA doing this?
The prospect of a revamp from the 2024-25 season has long been discussed, in part because it will be the start of a new broadcast cycle.
More matches to sell should potentially mean greater revenue. UEFA had hoped the reforms would stave off the potential threat of a breakaway European Super League. It wanted the discussion on distribution of revenue to take place after an agreement on format was reached.
European Leagues disagreed with that approach, and having appeared to have lost the argument, a rebel ESL is now gathering pace like never before.