Starting next season, there will be significant changes to the Champions League calendar. In addition to the traditional game days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tournament matches will also be played on Thursdays. Moreover, all 18 matches of the final round of the group stage will be held simultaneously on January 29, starting at the same time, Sports.ru reports.
The reform is associated with an increase in the number of participants in the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams, as well as with the abandonment of the traditional group stage. Instead, a general standings will be introduced, in which each club will play 8 games with different opponents.
All teams will be divided into 4 pots according to the club rankings, with the exception of the current tournament winner, who will automatically be placed in the first pot. Each participant will face two opponents from each pot.
Based on the results of the overall table, the top 8 teams will directly advance to the playoffs. The clubs that take places from 9th to 24th will play for the remaining 8 tickets in two-game playoff matches. Teams eliminated at this stage will not have the opportunity to continue competing in the Europa League, as was the case before.
