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While the strongest teams of the Old Continent continue their battle for the UEFA Champions League trophy, the tournament organizers' offices are also buzzing with equally intense work. The most famous club tournament in the world is on the brink of change. As reported by "Il Corriere dello Sport," many points have already been arranged for the tournament's renewal after 2024. One of the most important changes - the number of teams will increase from 32 to 36. Teams will also enjoy an increased number of matches - currently a club can play a maximum of 13 matches per season, while after the reform this number would increase to 17. In the group stage, teams would play 10 matches each. However, it is still unclear who will receive the four additional spots - "The Athletic" speculates that they could be allocated to famous but struggling clubs that would not be able to qualify for the tournament based on their sporting results. Another option is to allocate spots to leagues, among which France is particularly prominent. In turn, the Premier League and La Liga demand a fifth spot for themselves. The tournament system will also undergo radical changes - all 36 teams will form one group, but the teams will be divided into four categories according to the UEFA ranking. Each club will play five home and five away matches against their opponents and certain other teams. After the end of the first stage, the top eight clubs will secure a place in the knockout rounds, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th will continue their battle for the remaining eight spots in the knockout rounds.
