Champions League Introduces New 36-Team Format

The UEFA Champions League 2024/25 season will feature a new format with 36 teams in a single league table, where each team plays eight matches. The top eight will advance directly to the knockout stages, while teams ranked 9th to 24th enter play-offs, and the bottom 12 will be eliminated. High-profile fixtures include Liverpool vs. Real Madrid, Manchester City vs. Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona. Aston Villa returns to European competition with a notable match against Bayern Munich. Arsenal will face PSG and Inter Milan, and Liverpool will reunite with former player Xabi Alonso, now managing Bayer Leverkusen. The league phase begins on September 17 and will run until January.