When is UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 draw? UEFA Champions League 2024/25 league and knockout phase mentioned!

UEFA’s revamp of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League for the 2024/25 season brings significant changes, notably adopting a Swiss Model for the tournaments. Here’s what fans can expect:

The Champions League will expand from 32 to 36 teams, with additional spots allocated based on league performance. Notably, Germany and Italy have earned extra slots due to strong showings by their clubs in European competitions in the 2023/24 season. However, the Premier League did not meet the coefficient threshold to secure a fifth spot.

Gone is the traditional group stage, replaced instead by a “league phase” format. This shift will require teams and fans alike to adjust to a new competition structure. Despite this overhaul, there will still be a draw to determine matchups within the league phase, setting the stage for the knockout rounds.

For those eagerly anticipating the upcoming season, here are some key dates to mark in your calendar as provided by us. The changes promise to inject fresh excitement and unpredictability into Europe’s premier football competitions.

When is Champions League 2024/2025 draw?

UEFA Champions League new format, league phase explained

Back in May 2021, UEFA dropped a bombshell: they were expanding the Champions League group stage from 32 to 36 teams. Fast forward to the 2024/25 season, and they’ve scrapped the old group phase altogether, opting instead for a shiny new “league phase.” Imagine all 36 teams duking it out in one epic league table showdown—talk about throwing tradition out the window!

Initially, UEFA pitched a 10-match bonanza for each team in this new phase, but they’ve trimmed it down to 8, probably to save players from a full-blown fixture frenzy. Here’s the kicker: no more facing the same old foes home and away. Nope, teams will now clash with 8 different opponents, half on their home turf and half on the road. It’s like a speed-dating session but with football matches.

To spice things up, UEFA’s got this seeding pot thing going on. Teams get ranked and then draw two opponents from each pot—kind of like picking sides for a playground match, but with a lot more paperwork involved. This ensures everyone gets a fair shot at glory, or at least a shot at not being humiliated in front of millions.

And get this: they’re ditching the complicated point system from the old group stage. Now, it’s back to basics—three points for a win, one for a draw, and zilch for a loss. It’s like UEFA’s saying, “Keep it simple, folks!”

Once this league phase extravaganza wraps up, the top eight teams skip straight to the knockout rounds—no questions asked. Meanwhile, teams placing 9th to 24th face off in a nail-biting playoff round, with the lucky winners joining the elite in the knockout stage.

As for the poor souls finishing 25th or worse? Sorry, folks, you’re out of luck and out of the tournament. No consolation prize in the Europa League for you—straight to the showers!

So, buckle up for the new and improved Champions League—where old norms go to die, and football dreams are made and shattered faster than you can say “VAR controversy.”