Champions League: a reminder of how the new format works - ESPN

The UEFA Champions League is back and, as we prepare for the second season of the «League Phase» format, it's worth a refresher of how it plays out. Some changes that were made were simple, others were more complicated, and a few might still seem a bit of a mystery until we get to the knockout rounds in February even though we've already had a taste of it. Oh, and there's been a change to the knockouts for this season.

So, what is the new format? How did the draw work? And what will the League Phase look like?

Let's start with the basics. Last season marked the first time in 21 years that we'd had a format change for Europe's top club competition. For the previous 21 seasons, 32 teams qualified and were drawn into eight groups of four. The top two teams went through to the round of 16, with third-place dropping into the UEFA Cup/Europa League and fourth-place eliminated from Europe entirely.

We now have 36 teams, but they are no longer drawn into groups. Instead, we have the Champions League «League Phase.» All clubs are in one big league table.

So, how does it work?

• Teams were drawn to play eight fixtures, four at home and four away
• Teams in positions 25 to 36 are eliminated in January
• The 16 teams in positions 9 through to 24 play in the knockout phase playoffs, in February, to earn a place in the round of 16
• The top eight go straight through to the round of 16, played in March

It's no longer possible to drop into the Europa League from the Champions League (or into the Conference League from the Europa League). Once you're out, you're out.

From the knockout phase playoffs onwards, the competition retains its two-legged format through to the semifinals, with a traditional one-legged final, but with limited