CL reform and new Nations League: that will change in the 2024 football year

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We are experiencing a new football spring in this country. After Round 33, the Super League table is split into a “Championship Group” and a “Relegation Group”. In the former case the champions and European Cup participants are determined, in the latter the relegated and barrage participants. But international football fans should also be prepared for some changes.

The biggest change in the new year will probably take place in the upcoming Premier League season. There are now 36 instead of 32 teams participating and competing against each other in competition mode. The groups of four are a thing of the past; each team now plays in four home and away games against eight other teams. The draw involves four pots of nine teams each, with each club meeting two others from each pot. The best eight in the overall table are immediately in the round of 16, places 9 to 24 play out the remaining eight knockout tickets. The losers of the play-offs go to the Europa League, which, like the Conference League, is also played in competition mode.

The Women’s Champions League will also be adapted and run in competition mode, similar to the men’s tournament – but only until the 2025/26 season. However, because the number of teams is being expanded from 16 to 18, two more clubs will have the opportunity to participate next season. The two additional qualifying places in the competition path go, on the one hand, to the association’s third place in the competition, which is in seventh UEFA place (currently Sweden) and, on the other hand, to the association’s second place in 17th place. place in the UEFA rankings. And Switzerland, currently ranked 18th, can look to this. If Switzerland were to advance to at least 17th place, the champions and runners-up could play for a Champions League ticket.

The European national team tournament is still held in the four divisions A, B, C and D. But there are also important changes. In Division A there is no longer just a Final Four tournament with the group winners, but a quarter-final round in which the number two also participates.

The promotion and relegation regulations will also be adjusted. As before, the bottom group from Division A is directly relegated and the group winners from Division B are directly promoted. The third-placed A teams and the second-placed B teams will now duel in a relegation match (home and away), meaning two teams can now be promoted or relegated. The relegation between B and C is the same. As there are only two groups of three in Division D, the group winners are promoted directly and the two worst fourth-placed teams from C are relegated directly. The number two from D then plays against the two better fourth-placed teams from C.

This tournament is intended to commemorate the events played between the European and South American club champions up to and including 2004. The winner of the European Champions League goes directly to the final every year, while the five other continental champions play for the second final ticket. The champion from Oceania meets his counterpart from Africa or Asia (changing every year). The winner will then face the remaining continental champion. At the same time, the North American and South American champions will duel in the other quarterfinal. The two winners then determine the final opponent of the European club.

The completely new Club World Cup will be held for the first time in 2025, with 32 teams expected to compete for the world title in the US. The new Club World Cup will take place every four years.

There will be hardly any changes on the island this year. It is now clear that there will be no match on Christmas Eve 2024. “To manage the busy Christmas and New Year schedule, precautions are being taken to allow more rest time during the festive rounds,” the league said. On December 24, Chelsea and Wolverhampton dueled for the last time (1:2) in the first Christmas Eve match since 1995.

Source : Blick