European crown
The new season ushers in a brand new rules system that has undergone a major overhaul, with previous group stage matches being "
Swiss chakra
"Replacement. From the original 32 teams to 36, the tournament system as well as the allocation of places has been changed, and the rules once known by fans will be replaced.
Top 36 Race Changes:
The 36 participating teams will be divided into four slots according to their club's European points, with the defending Champions League winners automatically placed at the top of one slot. Each team will draw two opponents from each bracket to play home and away matches. The traditional principle of same-country avoidance will remain in force, as a team will not play a team from the same country and will face a maximum of two teams from other countries in the same country. The computer software will automatically assign the team's eight opponents, which will be displayed in real time on the big screen in the draw room. The allocation of home and away matches will also be determined by the software, ensuring randomness and fairness throughout the process. Each team will face eight different teams (four home and four away). The top eight teams overall will advance directly to the Round of 16; teams ranked ninth through twenty-fourth will compete in a knockout playoff, with the winner advancing to the Round of 16.
Rules for allocating spots to the extra four teams:
The first place is allocated preferentially to the team with the 3rd place in the top division of the association with the 5th place in the UEFA association in terms of points.
The second place is awarded to the champion of the domestic league, increasing the number of teams in the Champions League qualification "Champions Route" from four to five; (Qualification "Champions Route": the champion of the national league that does not qualify for the main round competes for five places in the main round through a qualification round in which only the champion of the league participates. (Qualification "Champion's Route": national league champions who do not qualify for the main round will compete for five places in the main round through a qualification round in which only league champions will participate).
The third and fourth places are awarded to the two leagues with the best European performances by clubs in the previous season (the two associations with the most UEFA Champions League points in the previous season, the total number of points in Europe for that association in the previous season divided by the number of teams competing for that association).
Promotion Rules:
The top 8 teams in the "League Stage" will automatically advance to the Round of 16 after 8 matches in the 36-team tournament. The 9th through 24th places will be drawn for a two-legged knockout playoff for the remaining eight Round of 16 spots. The teams that don't qualify will end their European tour directly.
In the knockout playoffs, the teams ranked 9th through 16th are drawn to play the teams ranked 17th through 24th in a two-legged playoff. And starting with the Round of 16, the tournament will follow the existing knockout round format, which means that the 1/8th, 1/4th and semifinals are all two-legged matches, with the final to be decided in one game at a neutral venue.
