A scaled-back first section to the expanded Champions League in 2024 was authorised by UEFA on Tuesday to quell a backlash round Europe.
The reformatted group stage has been diminished from 10 rounds to eight, and backup locations for groups based mostly on historic efficiency have been eliminated.
The stage will nonetheless develop from 32 to 36 groups based mostly round a single standings reasonably than eight teams.
Weeks of talks involving home leagues and golf equipment produced the revised format that may see two further locations within the expanded format awarded to the 2 international locations with the best UEFA rating based mostly on their groups’ ends in European competitions the earlier season.
If the system was already in place, it might imply the fifth-place workforce in England would qualify for the Champions League together with a second automated place for the Netherlands. The workforce ending third within the Dutch league would get an opportunity to enter the qualifying rounds.
The #UEFAExCo has authorised the ultimate format and entry listing for UEFA membership competitions from the 2024/25 season.
No extra entry granted based mostly on membership coefficients.
Eight matches as a substitute of ten within the new league section.
Full particulars: ️#UCL #UEL #UECL
— UEFA (@UEFA) May 10, 2022
The unique plan that sparked criticism, significantly amongst middle-class golf equipment and followers, would have awarded the 2 locations to groups with the strongest five-season file in Europe who did not qualify by way of their home leagues.
The distribution of the opposite two growth locations will see an extra workforce qualify from the fifth-ranked nation in Europe — repeatedly France — and a fifth slot for home champions who do not qualify routinely.
UEFA President Aleksander eferin stated the revisions agreed to at an govt committee assembly in Vienna guarantee qualification relies on sporting efficiency.
An preliminary radical plan offered by UEFA in 2019 featured 24 of the 32 slots within the Champions League locked in with out the necessity to qualify yearly — a largely closed competitors that Super League insurgent golf equipment tried to then introduce with a failed breakaway final yr.
The new format, that was tweaked on Tuesday, was initially ratified by UEFA within the turbulent days across the Super League launch in April 2021.
“We are convinced that the format chosen strikes the right balance,” eferin stated, “and that it’ll enhance the aggressive steadiness and generate strong revenues that may be distributed to golf equipment, leagues and into grassroots soccer throughout our continent whereas growing the attraction and recognition of our membership competitions.”
The first primary stage to the new-look Champions League will see eight groups qualify routinely for the spherical of 16. But ending as much as twenty fourth out of the 36 groups will safe entry into the 16-team playoff spherical.
There shall be 10 weeks put aside for European video games from 2024, however solely eight shall be used for the three UEFA competitions, which is able to every achieve every week of exclusivity to significantly assist the Europa League and Europa Conference League garner extra of the highlight as additionally they broaden to 36 groups.
️ The @EURO2024 The match schedule has been finalised.
14 June: Fussball Arena in Munich to host opening match.
️ 14 July: Olympiastadion Berlin to stage remaining.
Matches in every #EURO2024 group may also cut back journey distances for groups and followers between the host cities.
— UEFA (@UEFA) May 10, 2022
The present 32-team Champions League produces 96 video games within the group stage. Dropping from 10 to eight video games per workforce will make an additional 64 video games reasonably than 100 earlier than the spherical of 16. That would have an effect on UEFA’s predictions of income rising about 40% from the present 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) yearly from its membership competitions.
The Champions League was created in 1992 from the European Cup, which began in 1955 and was a knockout event for many of its existence.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
