According to reports, UEFA is aiming to replace the conventional format with a "final four" tournament in one host city, similar to the Nations League final.According to reports, UEFA is considering scrapping the regular two-legged Champions League semi-finals in favor of a suggested "week of football."
The current system, in which the final four teams play each other at home and away, has been in place since 1955, but it could be revised as Europe's governing body plans major changes to the competition. The new Champions League format is slated to debut in the 2024/25 season, and it will most likely contain group matches ranging from six to ten teams, with additional teams qualifying for the competition.
While the European Club Association (ECA) has yet to make a decision, The Times reports that there is growing support for straight knockout matches from the semi-final stage onwards, with both games and the final taking place on the same day.That would be similar to the end of the Nations League tournament, and it would rule out the possibility of second-leg ties like the tense match between Manchester City and Real Madrid on Tuesday night, which is currently tied at 4-3.
In a game for the ages in Manchester, the Premier League and LaLiga champions went toe-to-toe, with the second leg at the Bernabeu promising to be one of the most anticipated Champions League games in recent years. UEFA, on the other hand, is claimed to believe that single-leg knockout ties, as witnessed in the Covid-affected 2020 competition, bring more danger and excitement.
According to the report, while some UEFA officials are hesitant to make such a drastic shift, president Aleksander Ceferin has already stated that he would be open to it."For broadcasters and sponsors, it could be a terrific event." You may have the final of the women's Champions League or youth competitions in the same week, making for a terrific football week. These knockout contests are unique and thrilling."Any changes would be implemented in tandem with the new format in two years, making the 2024 final at Wembley the final under the traditional format.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of the ECA and the president of Paris Saint-Germain, has been a vocal supporter of the "final four" format and has publicly argued for radical changes to provide a spectacle more akin to the NFL's championship game.
He told the Athletic, "The Super Bowl, and the United States in general, have this mindset, innovation, and entertainment." "That's what I proposed, having a Champions League opening ceremony and one match on the first night when the victors play a large team — maybe it's not a smart concept, but at least let's try."
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