"The UEFA Champions League is back and, as we prepare for the second season of the "League Phase" format, it's worth a refresher of how it plays out. Some changes that were made were simple, others were more complicated, and a few might still seem a bit of a mystery until we get to the knockout rounds in February even though we've already had a taste of it. Oh, and there's been a change to the knockouts for this season."
"What is the new Champions League format? Let's start with the basics. Last season marked the first time in 21 years that we'd had a format change for Europe's top club competition. For the previous 21 seasons, 32 teams qualified and were drawn into eight groups of four. The top two teams went through to the round of 16, with third-place dropping into the UEFA Cup/Europa League and fourth-place eliminated from Europe entirely."
"* Teams are drawn to play eight fixtures, four at home and four away * Teams in positions 25 to 36 are eliminated in January * The 16 teams in positions 9 through to 24 play in the knockout phase playoffs, in February, to earn a place in the round of 16 * The top eight go straight through to the round of 16, played in March"
UEFA Champions League now features a 36-team League Phase with a single league table. Each club is drawn to play eight fixtures, four at home and four away. Teams finishing 25–36 are eliminated in January. Teams finishing 9–24 enter knockout phase playoffs in February to compete for places in the round of 16. The top eight qualify directly for the round of 16, played in March. Knockout ties from the playoffs onward are two-legged through the semifinals, with a single-match final. Clubs can no longer drop into the Europa League from the Champions League.
Read at ESPN.com
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