New mode
Why the fifth-place team in the Bundesliga can play in the Champions League
The format of the Champions League is changing in the new season. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
In the Bundesliga, the fight for the international places is entering a heated phase. The Champions League and the other European Cups will be revolutionized in the fall. What’s in store for teams and fans?
Leverkusen against Stuttgart, Bayern against Frankfurt, Leipzig against Dortmund: On Saturday there will be a triple summit in the Bundesliga, the six best teams in the league will play against each other. As of now, five of them have the best chance of being in the next season To be there in the Champions League.
Europe’s premier class – just like the Europa League and Conference League – will then be held in a new format for the first time. According to UEFA’s wishes, this is intended to create more excitement and guarantee significantly increasing revenues in the billions, but it will probably take some getting used to for many people at first.
How many teams will compete in the premier class in the future?
The field of participants in the Champions League will be increased by four teams to 36 teams. Two of these places go to associations whose teams performed best collectively in the current European Cup season. Italy has already secured a fifth starting place for 2024/25. In the rankings, the Bundesliga is in second place behind Serie A and, thanks to Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen, who are still there internationally, has the best chance of also getting a fifth place in the Champions League.
What does the game plan look like in the future?
The biggest difference from before: the groups of four are no longer there. Instead, an overall table of all 36 teams decides who progresses. Each team will play eight main round games, two more than in the previous format. The clubs face eight different opponents in four home and four away games.
How are the opponents determined?
Similar to before, there is a draw before the start of the season in which the clubs are divided into four pots of nine teams depending on their strength. Each club is assigned two opponents per pot – including two from their own. This means that there can be top duels between European football heavyweights such as Manchester City, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the main round phase. It is not possible for two teams from one country to be drawn against each other. The Europa League also has eight main round match days, while the Conference League has six.
What does UEFA hope for from the new mode?
More games are taking place and revenue is increasing. UEFA expects a total of 4.4 billion euros per season for all European cup competitions. “There are a few more games, it’s about money. That’s just the business,” said record national player Lothar Matthäus to the German Press Agency. The continental association is also hoping for greater fan interest in the first phase because there are also top games. UEFA speaks of “giant duels”. It also relies on more excitement because entry into the playoffs and at the same time the position in the knockout phase are now more often open until the last day of the main round. In the previous format, many teams were often through or eliminated after just four or five match days.
And what happens next in the knockout phase?
The first eight teams are qualified for the round of 16. Eight knockout games will be drawn among the clubs in places 9 to 24, taking their ranking into account. After the first and second leg it will be clear who will complete the round of 16. The next draw will take place there, always taking into account the table from the first phase. The round of 16 draw determines the entire route to the final. The first and second place teams in the preliminary round can only meet in the final.
What else is new?
Unlike before, there is no transition between the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. For the teams that do not make it to the knockout phases and the round of 16, the international season is over. In addition, due to the increase in competitions and the new mode, there are more weeks of European Cup: Champions League and Europa League start in September, the main round game days seven and eight only start in January. On the last match day, for fair play reasons – similar to the Bundesliga final – all 18 games will kick off at the same time. The first knockout phase of the three competitions takes place in February, followed by the round of 16, quarter and semi-finals as well as the finals from March to May.