So UEFA have released more details about what the changes will be to their competitions for next season
In short, UCL, UEL and UECL will all change from a 32 team group stage competition, to a 36 team league competition
For the UCL and UEL, those 36 teams will be split into 4 pots, each team will play 8 games, and those games will be against 2 teams from each of those 4 pots.
For the UECL, those 36 teams will be split into 6 pots, and each team will play just 6 games, one against a team from each pot.
The teams that finish 1-8 in the league will progress to the next round...the teams that finish 9-24 will go into a playoff round, with the winner progressing, the losers of that playoff and the teams that finish 25-36 in the league will all drop out of Europe completely
UEFA have simulated a draw for this new setup, and given all the stipulations that they have already built into these draws, they have discovered that to do the draw for this new format by hand, it would take 3-4 hours for each draw, and around 900 balls would be needed....so they have announced that going forward, a hybrid draw will take place, with some elements being drawn by hand, the rest being done by computer (that'll cause nothing but conspiracy theories no doubt)
All sounds very complex...but the one detail they haven't really explained as yet, is how they determine which games will be at home and which games will be away....I mean I'd fancy us to have a crack at a top team at home and possibly get a result, but that's a far bigger ask away from home, so how are they gonna work out and justify this kind of stuff?
Dunno how I feel about it all...and up until now, I thought it was just the Champions League that was changing, but it's not it's all of them
Europe 24/25 season
posted on 13/3/24
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 15 minutes ago
I hope somebody monitors it very closely because if I was a betting man teams from bigger countries will suddenly avoid trips to Quarabag and the like.
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You could be on to something there....though they will always claim, luck of the draw
posted on 13/3/24
The biggest shambles in all this is that two countries (ie Spain and England) will now get five(!) teams in the "champions" league.
posted on 13/3/24
This thing is not being done to help the smaller teams. It`s always to benefit the bigger countries more. Of course the smaller teams get more, but you can bet proportionately, the bigger countries get even more.
posted on 13/3/24
comment by WorkPermitPending (U1067)
posted 30 minutes ago
The biggest shambles in all this is that two countries (ie Spain and England) will now get five(!) teams in the "champions" league.
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Nope
Currently Italy and Germany leading the charge. Based on the teams left it is likely to be England and Italy getting the extra spots.
Additionally there are another 2 spots for non Euro elite nations - so no reason why Scotland cannot benefit as well
posted on 13/3/24
comment by Why the pallaver (apathe....ah what's the point) (U10168)
posted 8 minutes ago
This thing is not being done to help the smaller teams. It`s always to benefit the bigger countries more. Of course the smaller teams get more, but you can bet proportionately, the bigger countries get even more.
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It’s to appease everyone.
Barcelona, Juventus - desperate for cash, this helps
Smaller clubs get more exposure, more money and greater chances of qualifying.
Elite leagues get an additional place
It’s arguably a win win. Now we just need the football to be good.
posted on 13/3/24
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 14 hours, 4 minutes ago
Surely it will just be drawn into pre-ordained slots with home and away games decided by what slot you are drawn into.
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This would make sense until a team from England draws a team from England then they have to do it all again.
posted on 13/3/24
It is harsh but we are the equivalent of Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup - no chance of winning it but hope to still be in it when the big boys enter and get some money out of it and you never know, fluke a kind draw into the quarters but overall the money being more important than the progress.
posted on 13/3/24
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
It is harsh but we are the equivalent of Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup - no chance of winning it but hope to still be in it when the big boys enter and get some money out of it and you never know, fluke a kind draw into the quarters but overall the money being more important than the progress.
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Agreed, but any suggestions that they are deliberately helping us little ones is at best naïve, not aimed at you btw. Threat of a breakaway, change the format. Means more money for the bigger countries, end of
posted on 13/3/24
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 6 hours, 43 minutes ago
comment by Why the pallaver (apathe....ah what's the point) (U10168)
posted 8 minutes ago
This thing is not being done to help the smaller teams. It`s always to benefit the bigger countries more. Of course the smaller teams get more, but you can bet proportionately, the bigger countries get even more.
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It’s to appease everyone.
Barcelona, Juventus - desperate for cash, this helps
Smaller clubs get more exposure, more money and greater chances of qualifying.
Elite leagues get an additional place
It’s arguably a win win. Now we just need the football to be good.
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It's to appease the elite 🙄 leagues
posted on 13/3/24
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club... (U18109)
posted 11 hours, 19 minutes ago
comment by Cinciwolf----JA06 NFL Fantasy CHAMP 2023 (U11551)
posted 5 hours, 36 minutes ago
Just another step toward a european league. Shocked.
Hope it happens so we can feck off the bullshat 6.
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Cinci, no need for you to be on here Fella, Wolves won’t be in Europe anytime soon
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Us reaching Europe is far far harder than you failing to reach Europe. How did you get on this season?