The new season of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) will kick off with its first draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, introducing a fresh format. This season marks a significant evolution in the Champions League's history, featuring more teams, a revised structure, and heightened competition, with the tournament set to start on September 17.
The draw is a pivotal event in each Champions League season—a key moment eagerly anticipated and marked on the calendar. There is a comforting traditional aspect to the process, where balls are placed into a bowl, shuffled, and then drawn to reveal the teams, with names displayed for all to see. While this familiar ritual will continue, the process will also incorporate computer technology to ensure the draw is conducted impartially and without any doubt.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: New Format
UEFA’s football division dedicated thousands of hours to developing the new format, employing complex mathematical models and algorithms to create and refine it.
The traditional Champions League group stage has been replaced with a single league of 36 teams—four more than the previous 32. Each team will now play eight matches (up from six) against eight different opponents to determine qualification for the knockout phase.
A mathematician was assigned to simulate the new format over three seasons, using modelling to assess potential improvements in terms of the number of inconsequential matches, goal averages, goal differences per match, winning margins, and other factors.
After the league stage, the top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 16th will compete in two-legged (home and away) knockout matches to secure the remaining eight spots for the pre-quarterfinals.
From this stage onwards, all knockout rounds will be played over two legs, with the final being a single-leg tie.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Teams participating in draw
Spain: Girona, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid
England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool
Germany: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart
Italy: AC Milan, Atalanta, Inter Milan Bologna, Juventus
France: Paris St-Germain, Brest, Lille, Monaco
Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Portugal: Sporting Lisbon, Benfica
Scotland: Celtic
Belgium: Club Brugge
Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk
Austria: Salzburg, Sturm Graz
Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb
Switzerland: Young Boys
Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava
Czech Republic: Sparta Prague
Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Format of Draw
The teams will be allocated into four pots according to their seeding. Each team will face two opponents from each pot, with one match played at home and one away.
Once a team is selected from a pot, UEFA’s system will determine which of their eight opponents they will face at home or away. This format increases the likelihood of top teams playing against each other. For example, Manchester City might end up facing Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.
The system also ensures that teams do not play against domestic rivals and limits each side to facing no more than two clubs from the same nation.
According to UEFA, the computer technology forecasts matchups to ensure that teams are not pitted against opponents they cannot play, maintaining fairness throughout the competition.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Details of the Draw
The draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo, at 6 pm local time, on August 29.
Following is the time across India, the US and the UK:
India - 9:30 pm
United Kingdom - 5 pm
USA - Eastern Time - 12 pm
USA - Central Time - 11 am
USA - Mountain Time - 10 am
USA - Pacific Time - 9 am
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Live Streaming details
The UEFA Champions League draw in India will be broadcast on the Sony Sports Network and can be live-streamed on Sony LIV. Additionally, Sony Sports will televise all Champions League matches this season, both on TV and via its OTT platform.
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