The Champions League is set to undergo a major revamp, and it's going to have a big impact on the clubs who qualify.
The current format, which we're all used to, sees teams split into groups of four, with the top two moving on to the knockout stages and the third-placed team heading to the Europa League play-offs. But from next season, things are going to look very different.
UEFA is introducing a Swiss League format for the competition. So what does this mean for the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham? Let's take a closer look.
Starting from the 2024/25 season, the Champions League will feature 36 teams instead of the current 32. Instead of group stages, there will be a 'Champions League phase' where all 36 clubs compete in a single league, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Each team will play eight matches in this phase, against eight different opponents. They won't face the same three teams twice as they do now. Four of these matches will be at home and four will be away.
The teams will first be sorted into four seeding pots to decide the eight opponents. Each team will then play two opponents from each pot, with one match at home and one away.
Two teams can qualify if they finish fifth in their division and their country is in the top two of the UEFA co-efficient rankings. These rankings are based on how well each nation's clubs do in the three European competitions.
At the moment, England and Spain are set to benefit from this change. One team can qualify if they finish third in the league ranked fifth in the coefficient rankings — this is currently France.
The last spot will go to a domestic champion by increasing the number of clubs qualifying via the Champions path of the competition's qualifying process from four to
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