How more than four EPL teams can qualify for next season's Champions League

Roll up, roll up: the Greatest Show on Earth is back - and following a thrilling opening weekend to the new Premier League season, supporters are still coming to terms with what's different this campaign.

Players, managers and supporters are getting used to the new protocols on time-wasting, dissent and the 'higher bar' when it comes to the implementation of VAR - but history could also be made come the start of the 2024/25 season.

For the very first time, five Premier League teams could qualify for the Champions League through their league position. Traditionally, there has only been four clubs who have qualified through their league place.

This will be the final season of the existing format - 32 teams in the group phase, split up into eight groups of four, with the top two progressing.

A change will see 36 teams competing in the competition in a 'Swiss league' style allowing for an additional place to be allocated to the two countries whose clubs perform best across all UEFA competitions.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has stressed that the evolved format "will still keep alive the dream of any team in Europe".

Ceferin said: "Our model is based on sporting merit. Where we come from, merit has no price. Merit can't be claimed, and merit can't be acquired. It can only be earned. Season by season. On and off the pitch. There's no room for cartels on this continent. I think we have made that clear, all together."

Instead of using the heavily criticised five-year historical coefficients, places will be allocated to nations whose clubs performed best in the previous season's European competitions.

Regarding the final bullet point, those two associations will earn one place for the club best ranked in the domestic league behind