Champions League: The massive changes happening for 2024/25 season

The UEFA Champions League will be changing forever in the 2024/25 season.

Amid speculation that the European Super League could be making an unwanted return, many football fans are holding on to the current top club competition in the men’s game for dear life.

Don’t get it twisted, the Champions League isn’t without fault, but the whirlwind competition where shocks, drama and comebacks can thrive make it one of sport’s most beloved tournaments.

Besides, you only have to look at the current knockout rounds and how they’re tantalisingly shaping up ahead of the round of 16 second legs to see just how much excitement it inspires.

However, at the expense of being the bearer of bad news, we’re regretful to inform that the changes set to be made to the Champions League in 2024 might simply be the lesser of two evils compared to the European Super League.

Well, ok, maybe that’s slightly dramatic, but all the discourse surrounding the ‘ESL’ both last spring and in the last few days have meant that UEFA’s upcoming plans for their flagship competition have somewhat been forgotten.

At least, that was until the new regulations started to do the rounds on social media again this week, because it’s hard to underestimate just how game-changing UEFA’s planned alterations truly are.

So, just in case you need catching up on things, let’s revisit UEFA’s breakdown of the new Champions League set-up for the 2024/25 season onwards that was unveiled to the world in May.

Instead of 32 clubs spread across eight groups as we’ve become accustomed to, the Champions League will be altered to one massive league table comprised of 36 competitors.

The new format means that teams will play four more matches than under the current set-up with each club