'Is this the season the Champions League format is changing?'
It's the question which feels like it has been on the lips of football daft fans for quite some time. The sweeping changes from UEFA led by Aleksander Ceferin have long been whispered and now it's almost here. We are into our final season of the old way – the traditional 32-team format with eight groups of four has been in place for 20 years but now Celtic, Rangers or another Premiership side hell-bent on gatecrashing the party will experience a new frontier.
Those of a certain vintage will remember there used to be two group stage sections for teams to navigate. But multiple group stage hurdles appear straightforward compared to what clubs across Europe are going to be faced with as Ceferin's vision comes to life. And, make no mistake about it, the world's richest tournament's facelift comes with a risk, with some of the biggest clubs still itching to form a breakaway European Super League. The current landscape of mistrust is akin to the plot of a gripping HBO box set.
And it's likely to be a game of moans for some, as the full list of changes, tweaks and new concepts have been revealed a year out from the big change over. Here are the key facts behind the rebrand. There is multiple shifts taking place but Record Sport looks at what it means for our teams in the coming years as Nyon's reworking of the Champions League loom into view with Brendan Rodgers and Michael Beale watching on.
- Tournament increasing from 32 to 36 teams
- A guarantee of eight games for all teams who have automatically qualified. Up from six.
- A league format where teams will face eight different opponents on one occasion
- More games guarantees more money with £30m regarded as the current minimum haul in the present format
- Teams that finish in top eight are straight into knockouts
- Teams who finish between ninth and 24th will face off in a playoff round which brings in two more fixtures (10) in total
- No dropdown to the Europa League for any teams and the sides who finish between 25th and 36th exit instantly
Extra protection for world's best
The four extra places appear exciting news for clubs outwith the traditional big five leagues but a note of caution is needed. The first of the extra spots is going to the third-placed team ranked fifth in the country coefficient standings. There will be an extra spot for teams coming through the champions route qualifying stage and the 'Euro performance' places go to two teams. This has been viewed as the most controversial element of the reforms with these spots almost a banker to go to traditional powerhouses from the four biggest leagues who have missed out on an automatic invite.
Guarantee at risk
Extra games means more money but Scottish teams - all our sides competing on the Continent – know the value of picking up points and helping their compatriots across all three competitions. And the coefficient takes on extra significance with it now appearing extra strain to secure a guaranteed Champions League spot for one of our reps.
That means a place inside the top 10 of the country coefficient (Scotland currently sits ninth) will likely be needed in the coming years. Next season is secured and the winners of the 23/24 Scottish Premiership title will be straight in but the forecast for the future is based on the success or struggles of our teams.
Group stage revamp
So what else is changing? In the eight group stage games teams will face eight different opponents. Variety appears the spice of life, however, there will not be a random element to the draw with seedings remaining and teams split into four pots of nine. Every team will play four home and four away with the the top pot now containing the defending champions and the eight highest ranked teams.
There's no doubt between the changes to pot one and the two places for 'Euro performance' the competition is adding safeguards to potentially help the biggest teams in the tournament. But two extra games for Celtic, Rangers, or another Scottish team is eye-catching. And if our sides make the playoff stage it would be the same amount of games as a run to the quarter finals currently offer.
| Current/New format | 23/24 | 24/25 |
| Group stage games | 6 | 8 |
| Playoff round game | 0 | 2 |
So our teams can reach the playoff round, not advance past that stage, and guarantee themselves 10 games in Europe. The financial jolt will be welcomed, of course, but that path is the equivalent of being a third-placed side in the current format and earning a Europa League run. That door will now be locked shut. More games in the Champions League or the shot at a run in the Europa League? A hot topic which is guaranteed to cause debate but both cannot be had in the new world.
Changes, playoffs and beyond
With seeding still in place the best teams from the top leagues appear favourites to continue their domination. However, even the most ardent critics of the changes, will likely admit facing eight different teams in one group stage offers a freshness to the current format of two games and three different teams.
UEFA haven't issued full instructions on how the playoffs will shake out but a graph of the knockouts points to a pre-planned system where the top seeds are kept apart on different sides of the draw.
Is it good or bad for Scottish teams?
Adding two extra games and the group stage calendar running to January offers our sides the chance to stay there in Europe after Christmas. The guaranteed extra cash plus rising TV money if the format thrives are obvious benefits. The freshness is exciting for punters who will snap up four-match packages against four different teams plus it offers extra options for punters fancying an away day.
But sceptics of the Euro revolution to the Champions League claim the changes have been made to appease the mutineers within UEFA's ranks and offer them extra benefits and quell their thirst for a potential Super League. With two of the top four leagues guaranteed to have five teams competing, it's clear why clubs like Celtic and Rangers plus the best of the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium will adopt a wait and see approach.
So, strap yourselves in for one final campaign of the traditional format before the shiny new look debuts in 12 months' time.
READ NEXT:
