UEFA Champions League 2024/25: 5 Talking points regarding the new format

With the first stage of the newly-formatted UEFA Champions League (UCL) done and dusted, the focus now turns towards the draw for the knockout stages. 

After the completion of a long and tedious league stage that saw eight teams walk straight into the Round of 16, with 16 others set to play for the remaining eight in the playoffs, there are a few key talking points that we’d like to discuss. 

Safety net for the big clubs

The new 36-team first stage of the Champions League provides a safety net for the bigger clubs. Clubs like Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City, who would have otherwise struggled for qualification to the knockouts this season in the old format, have made it into the playoffs and can get through to the next round at the expense of a higher-seeded club. 

In the old format, half of the teams would be knocked out of the UCL straightaway. The new format rewards mediocrity by offering a lifeline to the teams struggling for consistency. 

Man City, for example, won just three games—against Sparta Prague, Slovan Bratislava, and Club Brugge—and can still make the Round of 16. Slovan Bratislava finished 35th in the table, Sparta Prague finished 31st, while Club Brugge scraped into the playoffs by finishing 24th. One can argue that, given the way they played throughout the competition, City deserve to be out. But UEFA has now built in a safety net for the big clubs with the sheer volume of games, allowing City to save themselves by the skin of their teeth.

A slow burn

The new format has been a little bit of a slog. There’s nothing wrong with trying to revamp the format, but adding loads more games is not necessarily the answer. More statement matches are always welcome, because fans want to see big clashes like Man City against PSG and Liverpool against Real Madrid. The flip side, though, is a gruelling league phase with very little jeopardy.

The league stage picked up pace by Gameweek 7, but it shouldn’t have taken that long to become exciting. The early matchdays lacked intensity and jeopardy because the likes of Man City, PSG, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich all made the mistake of thinking they could take it easy and cruise through; they won’t make this mistake next season. However, credit must be given to clubs like Celtic, Feyenoord, and Aston Villa for taking it seriously from day one.

Also read: UEFA Champions League 2024/25: Gameweek 8 Recap

More revenue for UEFA and clubs

Whether UEFA admits it or not, it cannot be denied that the driving force behind the new format has been the increased revenue. In the old format, there were a total of 96 group stage matches. The new league stage format has a total of 144 matches. Add to that the new playoff stage which adds 16 more games, the total number before the Round of 16 arrives at 160. These 64 additional games bring in additional revenue to the tune of over 60% for UEFA, while the clubs—especially those lower down the pecking order—enjoy more revenue from the two additional games. 

Extra workload on the players

The player fraternity has taken the hardest hit from the new format. With most European countries having their calendar packed with domestic league and cup competitions, the two extra games in the UCL has only gone on and put more pressure on a player’s body.

In the traditional format, the four-team group stage would be wrapped up before Christmas, with the Round of 16 commencing from February. In the new format, apart from the two additional league phase games, teams that finished in the playoff bracket will first compete in the playoffs, then the eight winning teams will contest in the Round of 16. With players already playing 50–60 games throughout a calendar year, these extra four games will do more harm than good. 

The seeding system

Successfully functioning in tennis for many years, the new seeding system in the Champions League does make the competition more intriguing and exciting for the fans. One of the benefits—at least for clubs— is that teams finishing in the top eight won’t face each other until the quarter-finals. The likes of Liverpool and Barcelona won’t face Arsenal and Inter Milan until the semi-final—that is, if they make it that far. 

However, the downside of this system is that under-performing giants like Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG could end up drawing against some of the top dogs in the Round of 16. As things stand, Liverpool or Barça could end up drawing against PSG in the Round of 16, while Atlético Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, despite their solid league finish, could end up drawing Real Madrid or Man City. 

That said, the new system has also benefited the lesser known forces in Europe. This season, three Pot 4 teams have progressed to the UCL knockouts: Aston Villa, Monaco, and Brest. In the old format, it took four editions for three teams to make it past the group stages. 

But this isn’t only about progress, it’s about being competitive too. Scottish club Celtic, who won one match in 12 in the last two editions and finished bottom of their group, secured knockout qualification with three wins and three draws ahead of the 2022/23 UCL champions, Man City.