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This draw on Thursday also mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Champions League as it will see more teams, a different format and the chance for greater competition.
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The new season of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) will see its first chapter begin at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco when its draw begins under a brand new format on Thursday.
This will also mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Champions League as it will see more teams, a different format and the chance for greater competition, with the tournament beginning on September 17.
The draw is the first landmark of each Champions League season; a ritual, a date circled in the calendar and not to be missed.
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There is something reassuringly old-school about the release of balls into a bowl, the swish as they are shuffled around, then the names being held up to the camera for all to see after being selected. That will still happen to an extent but then the computer will take over to ensure the draw happens impartially, without a figment of doubt.
WHAT IS THE NEW FORMAT FOR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024-25?
UEFA’s football division put in thousands of hours to come up with the new format, using complex mathematical models and algorithms to develop and refine it along the way.
The Champions League group stage has been replaced with one league of 36 teams – four more than the current 32 – and each side will now play eight matches (up from six) against eight different opponents to determine who qualifies for the knockout phase.
A mathematician was tasked with simulating the new format over three seasons, using modelling to see if there were better outcomes in terms of the number of dead matches, goal average, the goal difference on average per match, winning margins and so on.
After the league stage, the top eight teams will qualify for the round of 16 while the teams ranked 9-16 will play two-legged (home and away) knockout matches to determine the remaining eight for the pre-quarterfinals.
Each knockout from this stage to the final will be home and away matches while the final will be a single-leg tie.
WHICH TEAMS ARE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW?
- Spain: Girona, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid
- England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool
- Germany: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart
- Italy: AC Milan, Atalanta, Inter Milan Bologna, Juventus
- France: Paris St-Germain, Brest, Lille, Monaco
- Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
- Portugal: Sporting Lisbon, Benfica
- Scotland: Celtic
- Belgium: Club Brugge
- Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
- Austria: Salzburg, Sturm Graz
- Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb
- Switzerland: Young Boys
- Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava
- Czech Republic: Sparta Prague
- Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF DRAW?
The team will be divided into four pots based on how they were seeded. Every team plays two opponents, one at home and one away, from each pot.
After selecting a team from a pot, Uefa’s program will determine which of their eight opponents they will play at home or away. It entails more games involving the top teams. Manchester City, for instance, might play Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.
Teams are prevented from playing domestic rivals by the program, and each side is limited to playing two clubs from a single nation.
According to UEFA, the computer technology anticipates events and makes sure teams farther down the line aren’t placed against opponents they can’t play.
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT DATES OF UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024-25?
GROUP STAGE
Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1-2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22-23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5-6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26-27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10-11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21-22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Knockout round play-offs: 11-12 and 18-19 February 2025
Round of 16: 4-5 and 11-12 March 2025
Quarterfinals: 8-9 and 15-16 April 2025
Semifinals: 29-30 April and 6-7 May 2025
FINAL
Final: 31 May 2025, Munich
WHEN AND WHERE IS THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024-25 DRAW?
The draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo, at 6 pm local time, on August 29.
Following is the time across India, the US and the UK:
- India – 9:30 pm
- United Kingdom – 5 pm
- USA – Eastern Time – 12 pm
- USA – Central Time – 11 am
- USA – Mountain Time – 10 am
- USA – Pacific Time – 9 am
