New format not only for the Champions League, but also for the Europa League. The second continental tournament is preparing for a change of clothes: goodbye to the group stage, on to the free-for-all tournament with 36 participants.
Each club will face eight different teams (four at home, four away). The top eight classified advance directly to the round of 16; the teams ranked from ninth to twenty-fourth will play in the play-offs for the direct elimination phase, with the winners going through to the round of 16. From that moment on we will proceed with the classic direct elimination phase.
45 teams already known, 13 of them already certain to participate in the League Phase, including the two Italians Roma and Lazio already certain to be seeded in the draw. All eyes on the preliminary rounds of the Champions League, from which several teams will be relegated in each round to the second continental competition. The 2024/25 edition will officially start on 18 June with the draw for the first qualifying round and the first matches will be played on 11 July. A 10-month long journey that will lead to the final on May 21st at “San Mamés” in Bilbao.
To know their rivals, the Italians will have to wait for the draw on August 30th. The magnificent 36 will be divided into 4 groups of 9 teams and each will face 2 teams per group. The first matches of the final phase will begin on 25 and 26 September.
LEAGUE PHASE
Olympiacos (Greece)
Manchester United (England)
Tottenham (England)
Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
Real Sociedad (Spain)
Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Hoffenheim (Germany)
Rome Italy)
Lazio (Italy)
Nice (France)
Lyon (France)
AZ Alkmaar (Holland)
Porto (Portugal)
5 relegated from the Champions League playoffs, Champions path
2 relegated from the Champions League playoffs, ranking path
4 relegated from the 3rd Champions qualifying round, placing path
PLAYOFFS
Anderlecht (Belgium)
Hearts (Scotland)
LASK (Austria)
TSC (Serbia)
Besiktas (Türkiye)
6 relegated from the 3rd Champions qualifying round, Champions path
THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND
Champions Path
12 relegated from the 2nd Champions qualifying round, Champions path
Placed path
Servette (Switzerland)
Kryvbas (Ukraine)
Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
2 relegated from 2nd Champions League qualifying round, placed path
SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND
Ajax (Holland)
Braga (Portugal)
Cercle Brugge (Belgium)
Kilmarnock (Scotland)
Rapid Vienna (Austria)
Vojvodina (Serbia)
Trabzonspor (Türkiye)
Molde (Norway)
Silkeborg (Denmark)
Rijeka (Croatia)
Panathinaikos (Greece)
Maccabi Petah Tikva (Israel)
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
Pafos (Cyprus)
Elfsborg (Sweden)
Wisla Krakow (Poland)
Paks (Hungary)
Corvinul Hunedoara (Romania)
Botev Plovdiv (Bulgaria)
Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Zira (Azerbaijan)
Tobol (Kazakhstan)
Maribor (Slovenia)
Sheriff (Moldova)
Llapi (Kosovo)
