Liverpool finally get Champions League clarity as UEFA ‘confirms’ format changes

Liverpool have been given some clarity on next season’s UEFA Champions League, with many new changes coming into play. After a season-long hiatus in which the Reds participated in the Europa League, they will return to Europe’s top competition for Arne Slot’s first campaign in charge.

There has been talk of some major changes to the Champions League over the past few months, with UEFA now releasing an in-depth slideshow explaining the new format. As opposed to the usual eight groups of four entrants to form 32 teams, a further four clubs were granted passage into the competition with a league format in place.

Each qualifying team will play eight matches, four home and four away, with opponents determined by a draw that places teams of similar strength into four pots of nine due to their five-year UEFA quota. Liverpool will then be drawn against two teams from each pot.

READ MORE: Liverpool could sell five fringe players to make millions as six Academy stars step up

READ MORE: Liverpool Transfer News LIVE

If Slot’s men finish in the top eight, they will head straight into the final stage, with the teams between 9th and 24th forced to play a two-leg showdown to earn their place in the knockout stages. This is where things get slightly complicated, although the system implemented makes sense as it rewards sporting achievements.

To determine each team’s path from the first knockout round to the finals, the qualifiers will be paired as “1 and 2” and “3 and 4” based on their table finish, and divided into opposite sides of the the drawing of lots. . For example, if the team at the top of the league is placed on the left side of the draw, second place will automatically go on the right side.

For the play-off stage, teams finishing 9-16 will be seeded and will thus face teams 17-24 with the seeded clubs at home in the second leg. The eight winners of the play-off round will face the teams that finish in the top eight, who are then seeded for the round of 16, with the latter playing away for the first leg.

For the quarter-finals, semi-finals and eventual final, the format remains the same, the latter held at a neutral venue. With all these things in mind, Liverpool will aim to finish in the top eight as that guarantees a safe passage into the last 16, with a favorable fixture also on the cards.

With each qualified team having more matches to play, the league stage will conclude in January with the round of 16 in March. The quarter-finals then arrive the following month with the semi-finals and final scheduled to take place in May.