By the 2024/25 season, Europe’s three main continental tournaments (the Champions League, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League) had all adopted a fundamentally different structure designed to deliver more meaningful matches, more variety of opponents, and more revenue across the board.
Two seasons in, and with the 2025/26 campaign underway, the ripples of this change are being felt in boardrooms, dressing rooms and domestic title races across the continent.
We assess the new format has affected top clubs and mid-table sides two years on, in cooperation with Tribuna.com writers.
The new league phase model
Most fans know the old Champions League format: eight groups of four teams, home and away, with the top two advancing and the third-placed team slotting into the Europa League. That era is gone.
The core changes implemented in 2024/25 can be summarised as follows:
- 36 teams compete in a unified league table rather than multiple four-team groups in the Champions League (UCL); similar expansions apply to the Europa League (UEL) and Europa Conference League (UECL).
- Clubs play a set number of matches against different opponents: eight in the UCL and UEL (four at home, four away), six in the UECL rather than six against three teams in a fixed group.
- The league table decides progress: top eight go straight to the round of 16; teams ninth to 24th enter two-leg play-offs for the remaining last-16 places; bottom 12 are eliminated entirely.
| Aspect | Old format | New (2024/25 Onwards) | Impact |
| Team count (Champions League) | 32 | 36 | More clubs, broader representation |
| Structure | Multiple 4-team group stages | Single league table | More variety of fixtures |
| Matches per team | 6 | 8 | More games, more revenue |
| Qualification to knockout stage | Top 2 only | Top 8 direct; 9-24 play-offs | Keeps season alive longer |
| Europa/Conference League drop-ins | Yes | No | Less second-chance European football |
| Competitive Dynamics | Predictable group progression | Every match impacts standings | Higher stakes in each game |
A new game for elite clubs
Under the old system, top clubs often paced themselves through early group games before the “big boys” met in the knockout rounds.
Now, with eight distinct opponents guaranteed, elite clubs face a wider competitive spectrum from the start and often cross paths with each other earlier.
More matches mean more broadcast exposure and greater prize money pools. While exact figures vary by market and deal cycle, the broader commercial appeal of expanded European fixtures has already begun to translate into tangible financial gains for participants. This assists big clubs in building deeper squads, an advantage in itself.
The league table demands sustained performance. A slow start can’t be offset by a late surge in a small group; every match across all eight fixtures matters for knockout seeding and points tally.
Impacts on mid-table and smaller clubs
With 36 slots in each competition, domestic mid-table teams find it easier to qualify for the main phase of a European tournament. That’s a boon for exposure and revenue compared to the old format’s tighter bottleneck.
Playing eight unique opponents instead of three can be thrillingб but it’s also unpredictable. Small sides may face multiple elite opponents they would never have drawn under the old system, making strategic game-planning tougher.
Previously, teams eliminated from the Champions League group stage would enter the Europa League, giving them a second chance at European football.
The new format eliminates this ‘drop-in’ safety net; once you’re out of one competition’s league phase, you’re out entirely. That’s a blow to mid-tier clubs that once banked on Europa League minutes after a tough Champions League campaign.
More midweek fixtures and an extended calendar challenge clubs with limited squad depth. This is particularly acute for teams balancing European travel with domestic league survival battles.
Where we are in early 2026
Two full seasons in, the new model’s narrative arc is clear: Champions League excitement is up, but Europa and Conference League prestige is mixed.
Some fans and analysts argue that without clubs dropping from the UCL and UEL into the lower competitions, the latter two have lost some of their competitive heft and appeal.
The 2024/25 Europa Conference League final (Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis) demonstrated that these competitions can still produce memorable nights, but debates about overall strength persist.
On the domestic front, the broader access has delivered historic moments, including instances where up to six Premier League teams qualified for the Champions League, a scenario driven by the new format’s criteria and performance allocation.
Meanwhile, UEFA’s traditional model has also outlasted rival proposals. The moribund European Super League project resulted in Barcelona officially withdrawing in early 2026, leaving UEFA’s competitions firmly at the centre of European football.
The debate: better or too much?
As with any monumental change, the verdict isn’t unanimous. Many supporters and pundits praise the increase in meaningful matches and dramatic league tables.
Others argue the system’s complexity has muddied European identity and placed undue stress on player fitness and smaller clubs.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to deny that the new format has produced more meaningful matches, disrupted traditional hierarchies, and forced squads to demonstrate greater depth and adaptability, even as questions linger over its long-term impact on competitive balance and the very identity of European club football.
