The UEFA Champions League is back but with the biggest twist of all time! Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, some interesting changes have been made by the apex soccer governing body to bring more skin to the game. With the draws for this season now out, many are still scratching their heads, wondering in what kind of format exactly the domestic heavyweights across Europe will be facing each other.

Typically, the Champions League used to begin with a group stage, where teams of four were split into eight groups, basically a round-robin contest. Teams used to play six matches, one home and one away each, and the top 2 in each group made it further to the knockout stages. However, this season, something called a ‘Swiss model’ has been implemented by the UEFA. It was created with the help of designated automated software.

This will see a single league of 36 teams—four more than previous editions’ 32 sides—with each team playing eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. All 36 teams will be divided into four seeded pots, each of which will contain nine teams. Also, each club will face two teams from every pot, playing one match at home and one away.

Out of these 36 teams, a similar story will follow but with a slight twist. The top 8 teams qualify directly for the knockout stages, while the teams ranked 9th to 16th will compete in two-legged knockout matches to decide the final eight spots for the RO16. Meanwhile, those ranked between 25th and 36th, unfortunately, will be eliminated instantly when the league phase concludes.

Notably, no instance that would see any club compete against another team from its own domestic league, and each club can face a maximum of two teams from the same country. This will, however, increase the number of matchdays for all the teams, a surge from 96 in the old group stage compared to 144 in this new model.

Additionally, in the previous editions, the group stage usually finished in December. However, with this new implementation, two additional matchdays will now be held in January. Rest, the story remains the same for the knockout stages, with the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals being conducted in a two-legged match, while the final is obviously, a single-tie fixture.

More details on the newly-implemented UEFA Champions League format

Here are some important dates to mark on your calendar:

The group stages will begin from September 17 till January 29.
Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025

The draw for the knockout round play-off will take place on January 31, 2025, while the round of 16, quarter-final, and semi-final, will be conducted on February 21, 2025. The final will be played on May 31, 2025, in Munich, Germany. As for the league round, the draw is out. They were conducted by dividing teams into four pots according to their seeding.

Each team will be facing two opponents from each pot, playing one match at home and one away. The computer algorithm decided which matches were to be played at home and away. This format results in more matches featuring the top teams. Additionally, UEFA states that the computer system predicts outcomes and guarantees that teams later in the draw are not matched with opponents they are ineligible to encounter.

For those feeling the new model is quite complex, don’t worry; this is just an experimental season and has been implemented forever. So far, the response of the elite clubs that were bound to leave the UCL for the European Super League is in favor of this new method. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League unfolds.