This season’s Champions League group stage was the final of its form, with Europe’s premier membership competitors switching to a 36-team ‘Swiss Model’ from 2024-25. The change is certain to show contentious and provides extra video games to an already hectic calendar for gamers. That is how the new-look match will work, and what it means for Premier League golf equipment.
What is going to change subsequent season?
Extra of a revolution than a revamp. The Champions League group stage might be not like those we have now identified. It’s the largest change in format for 20 years, since there have been two group-stage mini leagues earlier than the knockouts. From subsequent season, the competitors will undertake the ‘Swiss Mannequin’. As an alternative of teams of 4, there might be one league of 36 groups. Every workforce might be drawn to play eight matches in opposition to completely different opponents, half at dwelling and half away.
Why?
Uefa will trot out the same old line about evolving the competitors. However the backside line is that there are 4 extra groups within the group levels and every membership will get two extra video games. Extra TV broadcasting cash, extra gate receipts and supporters travelling throughout the continent. If the competitors was not making income, would they be including to the calendar and making the group stage eight video games over 10 match-weeks? In the intervening time there are six match-weeks.
Will or not it’s extra dramatic?
The draw seedings means there might be some big-hitters taking part in one another within the group stage. Manchester Metropolis, for example, hardly received a mouth-watering draw this season once they confronted RB Leipzig, Younger Boys and Crimson Star Belgrade. Subsequent season the golf equipment might be break up into 4 pots for the draw and each workforce will get two golf equipment from Pot 1. Potential for showpiece matches between Europe’s heavyweights.
However….
The highest eight will robotically qualify for the spherical of 16, so they may safe a spot early after which relaxation large gamers for necessary matches on the weekend. These ending between ninth and twenty fourth go into two-legged play-offs. So each place counts. But when a workforce can’t end within the prime eight, does it matter an excessive amount of who they face within the play-offs? The battle for twenty fourth might be thrilling.