Revolutionary decision from UEFA! The draw for the Champions League will be conducted with the help of a computer for the first time.

UEFA announced the changes in the draw ceremonies to be held in Monte Carlo's Grimaldi Forum on August 29 and 30. Meanwhile, the format of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League has also changed. All three tournaments will now be played in a league format instead of the traditional group stage.

GROUP STAGE ELIMINATED

The Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League will have 36 teams each in the group stage. The biggest innovation is that instead of the traditional group stage, all teams will be determined by a single league ranking. Each club will play 8 matches against 8 different opponents, 4 at home and 4 away, instead of 3 matches. The top 8 teams in the league stage will directly advance to the knockout stage. Teams finishing between 9th and 24th will play two-legged playoffs against each other. The teams that advance from this playoff will qualify for the last 16 teams.

2 TEAMS TO PARTICIPATE WITH SPECIAL INVITATION

Currently, 32 teams are competing in all tournaments. From 2024/25, 4 teams to be added to the Champions League will be determined by various factors. Previously, 4 teams from the top 4 countries in the UEFA Country Ranking were participating. From now on, 4 teams will also be taken from the 5th ranked country. Previously, 4 teams were participating from the Champions path. The number of teams participating from here will increase to 5. Two additional teams from the two countries with the highest points in the previous season will also participate in the Champions League with a special invitation.

SOFTWARE WILL DRAW THE DRAW

An automated software assigned to each team will randomly draw eight opponents from four pots, and these opponents will be displayed on the screen. The software will also decide which matches will be played at home and which matches will be played away. The draw will start with Pot 1. Eight opponents will be assigned to all nine teams one after another, and it will continue with the other pots in decreasing order until all teams have eight opponents. UEFA stated that the automated software system will guarantee that all conditions set by the regulations will be met. (Such as not having more than two opponents from the same country)

WHEN IS THE DRAW AND FIXTURE?

The draw ceremonies in Europe will take place on August 29-30. With the new format in the tournaments, the draw ceremony will also change. The fixture, which will include the match dates and kick-off times of the teams playing in the same cities in the UEFA Europa League and Conference League, will be prepared later and announced on Saturday, August 31.