More changes in the Champions League: Ceferin wants to revolutionize the final phase

The Champions League will suffer radical changes in his format from the season 2024-25. In addition to the elimination of the phase of groups by a liguilla of 10 parties, lto UEFA could implement a similar format to the used in 2020 by the pandemia of the Covid-19, with the semifinals and the final in a fixed headquarters and to only party to speed up the resolution of the maximum tournament of European clubs.

In this sense, Aleksander Ceferin, president of the UEFA sees with good eyes use the format designated like the 'Week of the football', in which the four semifinalists would play two only parties to define to the champion of the tournament. The parties would make in a fixed headquarters with public of both clubs, a measure that although it would represent less income by television rights (two parties less) would increase the profit for the city calm of the final, receiving three parties in place of one.

The quantity of fanatical that would travel to the decisive week would be the main appeal of the new format, with which the UEFA expects to decongest the European calendar and incentivar the appeal of the final phase of the Champions. However, everything depends on the relation between the Association of European Clubs (ECA) and the UEFA to finish to approve the changes to the format. For the moment, what if it is safe is the elimination of the phase of groups with 32 teams.

In his place, will make a liguilla of 36 teams under the designated 'Swiss system'. Each team will play 10 parties (five of venue and five of visitor) and the eight first qualifiers will access to the eighth of final, while the eight following (place 9 to the 24) will play a 'playoff' to gone and turn to define to the other qualifiers to eighth. The rest of clubs (place 25 to the 36) will remain deleted. The liguilla will play between September and January.

A different format 20 years afterwards

The last change in the format of the Champions produced in the season 2003-04. This year deleted the second phase of groups and in his place created the round of the eighth of final with parties to gone and turn, as they contested the chambers and the semis. Until the season 2002-03, the 16 teams that classified of the first phase of groups happened to form a second phase with groups of four that played of December to April. The two better of each group advanced to chambers.