Officially. UEFA has approved a new format of European club tournaments for the 2024/2025 season
The UEFA Executive Committee, which includes UAF President Andriy Pavelko, has approved a new format for club tournaments from the 2024/2025 season.
As of the UEFA official website reports., the decision was made after extensive consultations with members of the European football family. Last Friday, he was unanimously supported by the Council of the Association of European Clubs (AEK) and the UEFA Club Competition Committee, which includes club representatives. The changes are designed to ensure a favorable future for European football at all levels and to satisfy the interests of all parties. Unanimous commitment to the idea of open competitions and adherence to the sporting principle is also aimed at a common goal - the protection of national championships.
UEFA President Alexander Cheferin commented on the new format: “This new format also supports the status and future of national tournaments across Europe. He maintains the principle that access to European tournaments depends on the results in the domestic arena. He also reaffirms the principles of solidarity at all levels of play and open competition.
The improved format still makes every European club's dream come true in the UEFA Champions League thanks to football results. It ensures viability, prosperity and growth in the long run for all members of the European football family, not just the small self-proclaimed cartel.
Football is a social and cultural treasure, enriched by the values, traditions and emotions that our entire continent shares. UEFA, as the governing body and responsible manager of European football, must safeguard this legacy and lead the positive development of football in Europe for the benefit of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and fans at all levels. Therefore, for the last two years we have been conducting large-scale consultations and gaining unanimous support for our proposal. We are convinced that these reforms ensure the achievement of these goals. "
Further decisions on issues such as reformatting the selection scheme, match dates, seeding system, final format, odds and financial distribution will be taken by the end of the year. If necessary, amendments to the format approved today will also be adopted.
At the same time, UEFA reaffirms its financial commitment to all of European football. UEFA will take steps to ensure greater financial solidarity with a wider range of clubs that do not participate in European Cups. This will strengthen the foundation on which European football stands.
UEFA will also initiate a dialogue with stakeholders and propose measures to protect the health of players in various competitions at all levels.
Format details
The number of UEFA Champions League participants will increase from 32 to 36. The main changes will affect the usual group stage. Instead, all participants will play in a single league. If before each club played six matches against three teams (at home and away), now everyone will play at least 10 matches against 10 opponents (five at home, five away).
The eight best teams of the general stage will go directly to the 1/8 finals. Those who will take places from the ninth to the 24th will hold paired butt matches for the right to join the eight strongest in the 1/8 finals.
The format of the UEFA Europa League (eight matches in the general stage) and the UEFA Conference League (six matches in the general stage) will change in a similar way. As a result of further discussions and agreements, the number of participants in the general stage of these two tournaments may also increase to 36.
The UEFA Champions League will remain open. Teams will still be included depending on their performance in domestic competitions.
One of the additional places will be given to the club that finishes third in the association's championship, which ranks fifth in the ranking of UEFA national associations. Another ticket will be given to the national champion, who qualifies for the so-called Way of Champions. That is, the number of such vouchers will increase from four to five.
The remaining two places are for the clubs with the highest club odds in the last five years, which did not reach the general stage of the Champions League, but made it to either the Champions League qualifiers or the Europa League or the Conference League.
All matches before the final will still be held in the middle of the week in recognition of the importance of the calendar of domestic competitions across Europe.
"European football continues to develop actively and uses the best innovative developments and tools for even better organization of European Cups and a system of solidarity with all clubs and national associations in Europe," said UAE President and UEFA Executive Committee member Andriy Pavelko. - Any other projects and decisions made outside the united football community are outside the rules. The UEFA team is united as never before and is set on the most effective work on the further development of football. The cohesion of the football community is especially important in this extremely difficult time of the still raging COVID-19 pandemic. Only in this way will we be able to minimize its negative consequences, overcome all difficulties and become stronger! ”
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