The 2024/25 season brought with it a big chance for European football, with a new look league phase introduced in the Champions League.
The so-called 'Swiss Model' did away with the Champions League's familiar group stage that was used since the tournament's big rebrand from the European Cup in the 1990s.
Liverpool and Barcelona secured their progress to the knockout stages automatically with a top eight finish, while several European giants will have to go through a new play-off round after finishing between ninth and 24th. But when will clubs know their next opponents? FourFourTwo takes a look at when the draw will be taking place and how it will work.
When is the Champions League knockout phase play-off draw?
The draw for the knockout phase play-offs of the Champions League will take place at 11am GMT on Friday, January 31 in Nyon, Switzerland.
Teams involved in the play-offs will play a two-legged tie, with the winner progressing to the last 16. The play-offs will take place on February 11/12 and February 18/19.
How does the new Champions League format work?
The competition underwent a significant change for this season.
Gone were the familiar groups of four and in place was a single league containing all 36 teams that made it through.
Each side played eight matches in the league phase against eight different teams (four at home, four away), a change from playing the same opponents home and away.
At the end of the league phase, the top eight teams qualified automatically for the last 16 and those finishing ninth to 24th progressed to a two-legged knock-out play-off.
The competition will then revert back to the pre-existing knockout tournament up to the final, which is played at a neutral venue, with the Allianz Arena in Munich getting the nod this season.
