The 2024/25 Champions League promises to be a real revolution. UEFA has introduced changes to the format of the competition, but, in addition, starting next season we will no longer see one of the most characteristic images of the group stage: the draw pots.
The deputy general secretary and director of football of UEFA, Giorgio Marchetti announced that already in the 2024/25 season, a computer program from a company based in Hertfordshire, England, will carry out the draw and decide the league calendar.
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Until now, the draw was carried out using different drums where the balls were with the name of each of the participating teams and an innocent hand took out the ball, thus forming the groups.
How will the 2024/25 Champions League draw work?
The Champions League group starting next season is made up of 36 teams, which will be divided into 4 groups of 9 teams each.
To carry out the draw, the balls will be drawn from the drum but it will be the computer software that will assign the rivals to each team.
However, this change in the way the draw is carried out will apply only to the league. Starting in the next round, which will be the access play-off for the round of 16, the draw will now be held manually.
According to UEFA, one of the reasons for making the decision to do the draw through a computer is time. In the simulation, doing the draw manually, it could take more than 3 hours and 900 balls would have to be generated.
What will the new format of the 2024/25 Champions League be like?
Starting with the 2024/25 season, The 36 participating clubs will compete in a league phase. These 36 teams will participate in a single league competition in which they will all compete in a common classification.
With the new format, teams will play eight games in the league. They will face eight different teams, playing half of them at home and the other half away. To determine the eight rivals, the teams will initially be divided into four pots. Each team will then face two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against one team from each pot at home and one away.
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