Overview of the 2023-24 Champions League
Introduction
The 2023-24 Champions League is set to begin on Tuesday in Kopavogur, Iceland. This season marks the last season before the format changes completely. This article will provide an overview of the tournament, including the teams playing, key dates, and how the tournament will be different next year.
Teams Playing
A total of 78 teams from 53 countries will play in either qualifying or the group phase. England will have five teams involved, including Newcastle who will be playing in Europe for the first time since 2012-13. Celtic qualify automatically for the group stage, but Rangers come in at the third qualifying round. Union Berlin finished fourth in Germany’s Bundesliga and will be in the Champions League for the first time.
Key Dates
The preliminary round will take place on 27 June and 30 June. The draw for the group stage takes place on 31 August. The group phase ends in mid-December and the last 16 will begin in February of 2024. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over two legs in April and May. The final will be held at Wembley on 1 June.
Changes for 2024-25
The current format of 32 teams in the group phase, split up into eight groups of four, with the top two advancing, will be replaced by a new format in 2024-25. There will be 36 teams, with two of the four extra places awarded to countries whose clubs have performed the best in the previous campaign. All 36 sides will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with four home ties and four away. All 36 sides will be ranked in one single league table and the top eight will go straight into the knockout stages.