Plans Underway to Increase Uefa's CL Teams to 36 - Reports

Mohamed Helba

European reports revealed Friday that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has settled on changing the Uefa Champions League (CL) system starting from the 2024-2025 season.

According to several European newspapers, the Uefa intends to expand the 2024-2025 Uefa Champions League to include 36 teams instead of 32.

"European football’s leaders are close to an agreement to expand the Champions League by four extra match dates each season in a move that would have big repercussions for domestic football," Times reported.

As a result of that, the Group Stage will consist of ten rounds instead of six.

If the Uefa implements the new rules, the competition will be as follows:

The thirty-six teams will be pided into six groups of six teams

the winners and the runners up of each group will advance automatically to the knock out stage, as well as, the best four third-placed teams.

Then, the Uefa will hold a draw for the Uefa CL Last 16.

According to the above-mentioned, the two teams, who will qualify for the final, will play seventeen games instead of thirteen.

It is worth mentioning that the Uefa revealed in December the draw for the Uefa Champions League last 16, as the defending champions Liverpool will take on Atletico Madrid, while the other clashes are as follows:

1. Chelsea v Bayern

2. Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint-Germain

3. Real Madrid v 󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Man. City

4.Atalanta v Valencia

5. Lyon v Juventus

6. Tottenham v Leipzig

7. Napoli v Barcelona