UEFA is preparing to revolutionize its flagship competition, the Champions League, from 2024-2025.
A new format is brewing behind the scenes, with more teams, play-offs and more matches than the current format.
This new project will also be the theme of the videoconference meeting taking place today between the leaders of the various leagues on the continent.
36 qualified training courses compared to 32 today
According to European leaders, the "new" Champions League would be played at 36 clubs (against 32 today), with a distribution of nine teams in four hats.
In total, each team would play 10 matches, without a round trip.
At the end of this first part, the first two of each group (eight teams in total) would qualify for the final phase.
In order to designate the eight other teams to join in the round of 16, play-offs would therefore emerge between 9th and 24th place.
Once the 16 teams are determined, the competition would continue in the current format with home and away matches.
Three French clubs qualified for the C1
The winner and the finalist of this next formula would therefore play 17 matches, instead of 13 initially.
A figure that would even rise to 19 if one of these two teams is from the play-offs.
A complicated situation already that many European clubs are complaining about an already overloaded schedule, throughout the season.
This new scheme organized by UEFA could smile more for French clubs.
Currently in fifth place among European nations, France would have three guaranteed places to participate in the C1 editions.
While the first four nations (England, Spain, Germany, Italy) would retain four places, as is the case today.
Good news for the French leaders who have always claimed a third place synonymous with automatic qualification.
A decision rendered in March
For several reasons, the European body is active behind the scenes to bring a new face to C1.
Officially, the aim would be to make the biggest European competition more attractive.
More unofficially, UEFA would like to counter the threat of a European Superleague, this project initiated by certain behemoths of European football (Real Madrid, FC Barcelona or even PSG) with the aim of creating a closed league that would bring in more money. 'money.
An idea rejected by more than a hundred groups of supporters from all over Europe, via a press release published last week.
For now, this new plan drawn up by the European body is in a phase of debates and negotiations.
A decision will be taken definitively in March, during an executive committee.
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