When Is The Champions League Group Stage Draw? Dates, Times And New Format Explained
European competitions will look differently this year as UEFA present a new format but when is the draw that will introduce the ‘league phase?’
How does the new European format look?
The group stage matches have been officially eliminated. In their place, UEFA is introducing a ‘league phase.’ This new phase will include 36 teams across all UEFA competitions. Each team will compete against eight distinct opponents, participating in four home games and four away games.
An exciting new era for European club football awaits 🤩
Here’s how the #UCL will look from 2024/25 👇 pic.twitter.com/mEffFOpX2O
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 4, 2024
However, in the Europa Conference League, each team will play six opponents.
To secure a spot in the round of 16, a team must rank among the top eight in the 36-team league. Teams finishing in positions 9 through 24 will enter a knockout stage, competing for a chance to advance to the round of 16. Those teams that end up in positions 25 to 36 will face elimination.
Moving forward, the Champions League format will continue unchanged, featuring the conventional knockout rounds that culminate in the final match.
The draw for the Champions League is scheduled to commence on August 29th in Monaco. Although a specific time has yet to be confirmed, it is anticipated to take place at 11am BST. Defending champions Real Madrid are expected to be the frontrunners once more; however, teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen are likely to present strong competition.
The draws for the Europa League and Europa Conference League will take place on August 30th.
Why are UEFA adding more teams to their format?
In the Premier League, fifth place in the league standings may soon be a Champions League spot. UEFA is expanding the Champions League by including five additional teams, one from each of the major leagues. The possibility of the Premier League’s fifth place becoming a Champions League spot hinges on the performance of its clubs in the tournament.
UEFA claims that this will make their competitions ‘more open’ and ‘based on sporting merit’. The 5th place spot last season was given to Germany and Italy for their runs in European competition across the UEFA board.
