New look UEFA Champions League kicks off this week

While all eyes in Europe are on the European Championships which enter the Semifinal stage this week, the new look 2024-25 UEFA Champions League officially kicks off with the First Qualifying Round this week.

This year’s edition features a brand new format with a 36-team ‘League Stage’ which will see all 36 teams play eight matches (Four home; four away against eight different teams) in a true ‘League’ format. Changes happen from the very start of the competition. In previous years, the First Qualifying Round involved the very bottom of the UEFA coefficient table. This year, we have 28 teams involved in the First Round.

Qualifying will determine 7 teams that will join 29 teams that have direct entry to the League Stage. Those 29 teams are:

Manchester City (ENG)Arsenal (ENG)Liverpool (ENG)Aston Villa (ENG)Real Madrid (ESP)FC Barcelona (ESP)Girona FC (ESP)Atletico Madrid (ESP)Bayer Leverkusen (GER)VfB Stuttgart (GER)Bayern Munich (GER)RB Leipzig (GER)Borussia Dortmund (GER)Inter Milan (ITA)AC Milan (ITA)Juventus (ITA)Atalanta (ITA)Bologna (ITA)Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)AS Monaco (FRA)Stade Brestois (FRA)PSV Eindhoven (NED)Feyenoord (NED)Sporting CP (POR)Benfica (POR)Club Brugge (BEL)Celtic (SCO)Sturm Graz (AUT)Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Five of the seven teams that will join the above list will be determined in the ‘Champions Route’ (featuring actual champions) while 2 teams will come from the ‘non-League Route’. Draws have already been made for the first 2 Qualifying Rounds. Here is a rundown:

First Qualifying Round (Champions Path) – Matches July 9/10 & 16/17

Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs FC Struga (MKD)
The New Saints (WAL) vs Decic Tuzi (MNE)
FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) vs Egnatia Rrogozhine (ALB)
Hamrun Spartans (MLT) vs Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Ballkani (KOS) vs UE Santa Coloma (AND)
Flora Tallinn (EST) vs NK Celje (SVN)
KI Klasvik (FRO) vs Differdange 03 (LUX)
FK Panevezys (LTU) vs HJK Helsinki (FIN)*
RFS Riga (LVA) vs Larne FC…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/new-look-uefa-champions-league-kicks-off-this-week/

Author : Ed Perovic

Publish date : 2024-07-08 18:31:34

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.