The UEFA annual congress will be held in Vienna on May 11th, 2022, and one of the subjects that will be considered is a new potential tournament format for the Champions League, which would begin in 2024.
Champions League and Final 4 Format
The last approach from European football’s governing body was unappealing, and UEFA is scrambling to come up with a fresh formula to improve the biggest competition.
According to sources, Paris Saint-Germain and European Club Association (ECA) head Nasser Al Khelaifi explored the possibility of UEFA conducting a Final Four-style format in the city that has hosted the competition’s final until now. As per the New York Times, the plan is coming together, and it could be one of the first adjustments to be implemented soon.
About the Changes by Ceferin
If teams fail to qualify through their domestic performances, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin revealed that changes could be announced in May 2022. UEFA is considering giving two places to teams based on their historic record in Europe over five years if they do not qualify through their domestic performances. UEFA believes that staging the Final Four on the neutral ground will result in more television revenue and commercial appeal.
They’re also looking into the potential of giving an extra spot to the fifth best-performing league after England, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
The group stage would consist of ten games, with clubs playing the same amount of matches at home and away, according to the previous system. The final standings would not be broken down into groups, with the top eight teams from each of the 36 teams competing moving on to the round of 16.
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