UEFA Champions League has continue to take it’s place as the biggest club competition in the world and there are clear indications things it will continue to take the spotlight.
Over the years, the tournament have seen different changes with 36 teams appearing in the tournament this season as opposed to the previous 24. A league phase was also introduced instead of the usual group stage.
Rather than having eight groups of four, with each team playing everyone else in their group home and away, the 36 teams were drawn against eight other clubs for four home games and four away games.
The new format saw a league phase, with the positions changing all the time and the top eight at the end of the league going straight through to the last 16 and the teams finishing from 9th to 24th meeting in a play-off round.
However, new changes are set to be introduced next season.
According to SportBild, UEFA are discussing three potential changes to the format, which could be ratified and come into effect for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
The first would see extra-time abolished in the knockout stages, in favour of going straight to a penalty shootout.
The second would give home advantage in the second leg of knockout games for those teams who finished in the top eight spots if they take on a team who finished lower down the table.
It’s left to be see if the changes will be approved as football fans anticipate first legs of this season’s semifinal clash. Arsenal will face PSG while Barcelona face a tough test in Inter Milan.
