UEFA is set to revise the Champions League format starting with the 2025/26 season, just one year after introducing the Swiss model. According to ESPN, the new regulation will ensure that clubs with higher rankings in the League Phase host the second leg of all knockout ties, addressing concerns from the 2024/25 season where the open-draw format for quarter-finals and semi-finals disadvantaged top performers.
Notably, Arsenal (third) and Barcelona (second) played their 2024/25 semi-final second legs away, while lower-ranked Inter Milan (fourth) and Paris Saint-Germain (fifteenth) hosted and advanced to the final. The current 36-team Swiss model features a single league table with each team playing eight opponents, but only the top eight previously secured home advantage for the round of 16 second legs, with later rounds determined by random draws.
The proposed change, approved by UEFA’s club competitions committee before the 2025 Champions League final, ties knockout stage fixture order to League Phase standings, ensuring higher-ranked teams host second legs. This aims to reward consistent performance and enhance fairness. While formal 2025/26 regulations are released, the adjustment awaits ratification by UEFA’s Executive Committee.
The change will heighten the importance of League Phase rankings, offering strategic advantages in knockout rounds. UEFA is also considering similar updates for the Europa League and Conference League to standardize rules across its competitions, emphasizing season-long performance.
Source: African Publicity
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