Liverpool have officially qualified for next season’s Champions League, but it will look a lot different from their experience in the competition last time.
The Reds have mathematically qualified for the top four. That means they are back at the top of Europe at the end of the season.
It is a huge boost for the club and for the new manager, who will lead Liverpool in the Champions League for the first time since 2014/15 since Jurgen Klopp.
UEFA sought to change the format from next season. You can guess why, so here’s everything you need to know about the changes.
‘League Stage’
From 2024/25, the number of clubs in the ‘league phase’ (formerly the group stage) will increase from 32 to 36, with each team playing eight matches in the initial phase.
Teams are ranked in four seed pots, and each club is drawn to play two opponents from each pot, essentially forming four groups of nine players.
The seeding in this pot is determined entirely by the club’s UEFA coefficient.
However, teams are ranked in one table to determine who advances to the knockout stages.
Half of the matches will be played at home and half away, with no repeats. The host will be determined based on the final ranking.
UEFA chose this route to increase the number of competitive matches as quickly as possible.
knockout phase
The results of each ‘League Stage’ match will determine the overall standings, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the round of 16.
Teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in the second round of the knockout stage playoffs to advance to the round of 16.
And finally, any team that ranks lower than 25th will be eliminated and will not advance to the Europa League we are used to.
In the playoffs, teams ranked 9th to 16th will be seeded and play teams ranked 17th to 24th at home.
The winning team will face one of the top eight finishers from the last 16 and will be seeded in this tie.
From the round of 16 until the finals, the match will be played in the traditional format.
This new format will see teams potentially play 17 games until the finals, compared to a maximum of 13 games in the current format.
key dates
With the number of games increasing, there are a few more dates to keep in mind when it comes to draws and match schedules for next season.
- League Draw – August 29
- Matchday 1: September 17-19
- Matchday 2: October 1/2
- Matchday 3: October 22/23
- Matchday 4: November 5/6
- Matchday 5: November 26/27
- Matchday 6: December 10/11
- Matchday 7: January 21/22
- Matchday 8: January 29th
- Playoff Draw – January 31
- Knockout Playoffs: February 11/12 and 18/19
- Last 16th/quarterfinals/semifinals draw – February 21st
- Last 16 days: March 4/5 and 11/12
- quarterfinal: April 8/9 and 15/16
- semifinal: April 29/30 and May 6/7
- critical: May 31 (Munich)