Everything you need to know about the new Champions League, the “Swiss model” | Champions League

How will the new format work?

It is a high-stakes experiment by UEFA, initially implemented for the 2024-27 Champions League cycle. The old group stage has been replaced by a single 36-team classification in which each team will play eight matches against as many different opponents, four at home and four away. This model, known as the “Swiss model”, boils down to a top eight, which advances directly to the knockout stage, with 16 other teams playing a play-off round in between. Teams finishing between 25th and 36th will be eliminated at the end of the league phase in January. The knockout stages will be similar to those of the other teams, with a round of 16 leading up to the final next May in Munich, and will be organised in such a way that each team can chart its potential path.

Why was this implemented?

Broadly speaking, Europe’s biggest clubs wanted a greater density of supposedly glamorous ties. Discussions had been ongoing for several years; an original version that saw two places reserved for teams based on their historical performance, rather than recent success, was abandoned in 2022 after unrest among clubs lower down the hierarchy.

The new format, which had been widely accepted by the Super League rebels before their attempted breakaway in 2021, will see each team guaranteed two games against teams from their own pot. That will please the ears of the top names in Pot 1, who believe games between them will attract punters and, therefore, money.

What could make it a success?

Perhaps these big-money games will provide enough suspense to allay fears of a Super League, keeping the giants happy while providing enough crumbs for those below them. Perhaps the games between the teams in the lower pots will also give some of the lesser-known names a chance of making the final when all 18 final ties are played simultaneously on matchday eight. In such a wide draw, with relatively few games played, a win or two could propel Shakhtar Donetsk or Brest into contention for a place in 2025.

What are the potential drawbacks?

There is enough football at present that the logic of playing 144 games to eliminate only 12 teams may be questionable. While each league matchday will contain one or two important games, it is worth asking whether these games will be risky enough to make them truly interesting. It is also worth asking whether there are enough truly exceptional teams in Europe today to create the level that UEFA hopes for, given the increasing concentration of wealth and resources in the hands of a very few.

While the bloated standings and relatively low number of points available from eight games should allow for plenty of movement on the final day of January, fans may not be particularly keen to find out whether their team finished, say, 10th or 11th, even if knockout matches do have their advantages. And perhaps the biggest question of all: will this new, expanded format quickly find the captive audience it needs?

How will Thursday’s draw take place?

A new “hybrid concept” will replace the traditional method of drawing balls from balls. Each team will still be drawn by hand before software designed by AE Live, a technology solutions provider that works with many major sporting institutions, selects their eight opponents. No club can play another team from its own domestic league, and no one can play more than two games against teams from a given country. Fans with their fingers on Skyscanner can rest assured that the fixture list, including the order in which the games are played, will not be published until Saturday.

Does this make the draw vulnerable to a cyber attack?

“We take cybersecurity very seriously,” said Dave Gill, AE Live’s chief executive. “It’s clearly a sensitive topic. I hesitate to go into detail about what we do, but I can assure you that we’ve taken every step possible to ensure that everything is as safe and secure as possible.” Gill said his company had been targeted by attacks while working on FIFA’s draw for Qatar 2022 after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. “We’ve had experience of that,” he added. “We’ve done risk assessments and put precautions in place.”

On Wednesday, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA’s deputy general secretary and sporting director, stressed that the original plan was for 10 group stage matches. That number has been reduced, but clubs and players will surely want to avoid the two qualifying legs in February. And if anyone is unhappy, whose fault is that? “The need to play regular matches in Europe comes from the clubs, not from UEFA,” Marchetti noted. The message was crystal clear: don’t blame us for the fixture congestion or the workload implications, blame those who wield the real power today.

Is this format locked forever?

Absolutely not. Everything remains to be determined for the cycle from 2027 onwards and, while he reiterated his belief that UEFA has found a system that works for everyone, Marchetti did not take a position on its long-term future when given the chance. Some figures in elite club football genuinely believe the format offers a viable way forward; others see it as a bridge to something different. The mid-tier clubs in the draw will certainly be keen to make it to the last 32, at the very least, in the era of the Swiss model. The overriding hope, for most of Europe at least, will be that it can prevent any further attempts at a Super League.

Thursday’s draw will be streamed live online on the UEFA website and YouTube channel from 5pm BST.