UEFA Champions League to introduce three major changes next season: Report

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :April 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM

Modified at :April 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM

UEFA Champions League to introduce three major changes next season: Report

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

The competition saw a massive change this season in the form of the ‘league phase’.

UEFA is now thinking of implementing three adjustments to the UEFA Champions League beginning in the upcoming season (2025-26) after the new format drew criticism.

UEFA earlier declared that the Champions League would undergo a full makeover beginning with the 2024–25 season, increasing the number of participating teams from 32 to 36.

In addition, the governing body replaced the group stage with a brand-new league stage, where the top eight teams advanced straight to the Round of 16, while the teams ranked ninth through twenty-four would compete in a play-off round.

Although fans and commentators initially criticised the new format, it has been well-received since the season began. Nevertheless, UEFA is now planning to make three further changes to the format. One of which will help players cope with the stress of playing more games this season.

The first alteration under discussion, according to the German daily BILD, is to eliminate extra time. If a knockout game is drawn, a penalty shootout would be used to decide the winner.

The second rule adjustment would offer teams who place in the top eight of the league stage an advantage by allowing them to host the second leg of their knockout matches.

The UEFA Champions League’s previous structure prevented two teams from the same country from playing one another until the quarterfinals. That wasn’t the case this season, though, as Bayern Munich played Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid played Atletico Madrid.

However, beginning with the upcoming season, there is a chance that the UEFA Champions League will return to the previous “Country Protection” regulations.

With just four teams left in the competition—Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain—the UEFA Champions League is nearing its conclusion for the 2024-25 season. Teams will try to secure a position in the final at Munich’s Allianz Arena by competing in the semi-finals next week.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.