August 20th 2024.
As the Premier League season kicks off, football fans are already looking forward to the highly anticipated Champions League. The draw for this year's tournament will take place in just over a week, and fans of four English clubs – Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa – are eagerly waiting to find out their opponents.
Last season, Real Madrid proved to be the team to beat as they clinched their 15th European title. And this year, the Champions League will reach its climax at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena in Germany.
But this season, supporters will have to get used to a new format. The competition has been given a makeover, following Madrid's triumph over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in June. The group stage, which used to consist of 32 teams, will now feature 36 teams, and it will end in late January instead of December. UEFA has also dedicated specific weeks in the calendar solely for Champions League matches.
The draw for the 2024/25 Champions League will take place on August 29, 2024, at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum. The exact time is yet to be confirmed by UEFA. Out of the 36 teams set to compete, 29 have already qualified and been allocated their pots.
The final seven spots will be determined through two-legged playoffs, which will take place between August 20-28. On August 29, fans will know which teams have made it to the group stage.
The group stage has been replaced with a league phase, where each team will play against eight different opponents – two from each of the four seeding pots. This format will ensure more matches between equally ranked teams, with fans getting to witness top clashes from the first match day itself. Teams that finish in the top eight will qualify directly for the round-of-16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will enter into a knockout playoff. And unfortunately, teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition.
The Champions League will make its return on September 17, 2024, and continue until May 31, 2025. The final will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, which can accommodate 75,000 fans.
The league-stage matches will be played on seven different match days, starting from September 17 and ending on January 29, 2025. The knockout phase will begin on February 11/12 and continue until the final on May 31, 2025.
As the countdown to the Champions League draw begins, football fans are eagerly waiting to see which teams will compete in this prestigious tournament. Will Real Madrid retain their title, or will we see a new champion? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – the Champions League will be full of excitement and surprises.
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