Champions League format changes and how they could favour Manchester United and Man City

From the 2024/25 season, Premier League clubs who finish outside of the top four could still be able to qualify for the Champions League, under new proposals.

Manchester United are currently outside challengers for a top four finish this season. And while Manchester City are flying right now, who knows what the future holds in the next few years. Europe’s elite competition is poised for a big shake-up under revamped plans that will see the number of teams increased from 32 and 36, all competing in one league table. Each club would play 10 matches, an increase of the six group games already in place, with the top 16 clubs progressing through to the knock-out phases.

MEN Sport runs through the new plans and how they could impact United, City and the rest of the clubs involved.

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola has told Manchester United how to handle gutting reality about David de Gea

These four extra places will be decided in three ways. The first place will be given to the fifth-best performing league in Europe.

For example, if this was Ligue 1, an extra Champions League spot would be handed to the team that finished outside the usual top three qualifying positions. The second spot will be decided via the more traditional ‘champions’ play-off pathway.

The final two spots will be handed to two clubs with the highest UEFA 'coefficient’ ranking who finished outside the usual qualification places in their league. This ranking is determined by historical performance over the past five years, which could give Europe’s underperforming big-hitters a better chance of qualifying.

The caveat is that the club must finish in the first spot outside of the qualification places. So in the Premier League, United would have to be in fifth to be