Image: Bernardo Silva and Luka Modric in action during the Champions League semi-final between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the BernabeuĬlubs from the same country will be able to meet sooner in the new format - now they can clash in the newly-introduced play-off round which will decide the final eight places in the last 16, rather than the quarter-finals currently. UEFA has ruled out the 'week of football' concept which had been reported, saying it will stick with two-leg semi-finals in its new plan, hot on the heels of the classic second-leg clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Bernabeu. A senior Premier League source said the conversations around the new format were "not over yet". Teams will face eight different opponents, playing four home games and four away games on a seeded basis in the new 36-team league.īut even that more moderate increase still means Champions League matches in January for the first time, a period which has traditionally been reserved for domestic football in England. Last year UEFA's executive committee approved an increase in matches from six in the current format to 10, but that has been cut to eight amid pressure from domestic leagues and fans' groups. Senior UEFA sources said there are no plans as it stands to review that system.ĭomestic leagues will also have questions about how these plans will impact their competitions, both in terms of arguably reducing interest by widening the Champions League race and the more pragmatic concerns around match scheduling. The current coefficient scoring system awards bonus points for Champions League group-stage qualification, which means those countries which already benefit from four places are at an advantage from the start. Image: Aleksander Ceferin said the changes show UEFA is committed to 'open competition'
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