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Current UEFA Champions League format reaches its final year. UEFA has confirmed that a new format will be introduced in the strongest football tournament of the Old Continent from the 2024-25 season. The main aspects of the new format:
- 36 teams instead of 32
- 8 matches in the group stage instead of 6. Champions League matches can be played in January from 2025.
- 2 places will be allocated to teams from leagues whose clubs performed the best in European tournaments that season. For example, additional places would be allocated to "Premier" league and "Eredivisie" clubs for the fifth and second place respectively in these leagues.
Previously, among the considered options were two places allocated to clubs based on their historical achievements in the Champions League. It was also considered to allocate two places to clubs that did not qualify for the tournament but have a high UEFA coefficient.
"We are confident that this chosen format will provide the right balance in terms of competition and bring in a good profit that can be distributed among clubs, leagues, and even throughout football in our continent, while also increasing the attractiveness and popularity of club tournaments," said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. 
