UEFA confirms 'Swiss format' in Champions League less than 3 months after Superleague announcement
UEFA has officially presented the change to the “Swiss format” of a league system in the Champions League, replacing the group stages that have been present for several decades, and adding four more teams to the competition. For the sides that do not go through the league stage, there will be no qualification in the Europa League or the Conference League due to the position.
36 teams will compete in the league stage from next season, with teams playing eight games against teams drawn from each of the four seeded pots. They will not play each side twice, but instead face eight different opponents at home or away.
The sides that qualify in the top eight will qualify in the Round of 16, while the teams finishing 9th to 24th will play in a play-off round to fill those eight places against the top seeds. The remaining 12 sides that finish at the bottom of the table will be eliminated entirely from all competitions.
UEFA has confirmed a change to the “Swiss format” next season in the #UCL.pic.twitter.com/TgHMiaWaVh
— Football Spain (@footballespana_) March 4, 2024
It means two extra games from the group stage. If a side that does not finish in the top eight of the league stage is to win the competition, then it will need to play 17 games, which is four more than the current total. Those who qualified for the Round of 16 will play 15 games, both of which were fewer than the 19 games that the winners had played in the super league.
This change had been agreed years in advance, but shows the growing importance and influence that the big clubs have Uefabringing more matches between the big clubs, while making it more difficult to be eliminated and more difficult for the lower sides to progress.
