UEFA reveal major Champions League rule change in boost to Liverpool cult hero and £30m Spurs signing
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UEFA has announced a significant rule change for the Champions League knockout rounds starting in the 2025-26 season, primarily concerning home advantage. The new regulation guarantees that only the top 4 teams from the League Phase (new format replacing the traditional group stage) and the clubs that eliminate them will have the right to play the second leg of the round of 16 and quarterfinal ties at home. For semifinals, only the teams finishing in 1st and 2nd place of the League Phase are assured this advantage. This rule means clubs finishing 3rd or 4th in the league phase are no longer guaranteed home priority in the second leg and cannot choose the venue—it is automatically assigned by these rankings and the progression of the knockouts. Importantly, if a lower-ranked team eliminates a higher-ranked one, they inherit that team's home advantage privilege for the rest of the competition stages they reach.
This change was introduced after complaints from clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona. Arsenal, for instance, finished 3rd in the previous League Phase but had to play the semifinal second leg away against Paris Saint-Germain, who finished 15th but eliminated Liverpool (1st place). The new rule ensures such discrepancies are limited, though it also introduces situations where a lower-ranked team inherits home advantage by eliminating a top seed.
Alongside this, the Champions League format itself has evolved for the 2024-25 season: instead of the traditional 32 teams in eight groups, there are now 36 teams competing in a single league phase. Each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents (not home-and-away against the same three teams), with four fixtures at home and four away. The top eight teams qualify directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing 9th to 24th enter a knockout playoff to earn their place in the last 16. Teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated.
The new format aims to increase competitive balance, allowing top teams to face a broader range of opponents earlier and emphasizing league phase positioning as critical for knockout advantages. The decision to fix home advantage priorities promotes meritocracy based on league rankings but also carries potential controversies regarding teams outside the top 4. This marks a substantial shift in how UEFA manages the knockout stage framework and the overall competitive landscape of Europe’s premier club football tournament.
PP