Champions League Set for Major Revamp

The Champions League is undergoing a significant overhaul that will result in two major European nations securing an extra spot in the competition starting next season. This means that the Premier League is at risk of missing out on gaining a fifth place in the tournament.

Swiss Model: The New Format

The current format of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four will be replaced by the Swiss Model. Under this new system, 36 teams will be admitted into one big league table. The top eight will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while positions 9-24 will contest a play-off.

Extra Spots Up for Grabs

With the expansion of the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams, four additional spots will be up for grabs. Two of these spots will be awarded to the leagues whose clubs perform the best in European competitions this season, including the Europa League and Europa Conference League. The other two spots will be given to the team that comes third in the Uefa nation ranked fifth in coefficient and the champions' qualifying path.

Premier League's Coefficient Drops

Manchester United and Newcastle's failure to progress in the Champions League or even the Europa League has caused the Premier League's coefficient to drop to third place. The current coefficient number for the Premier League is 12.13, behind Germany (13.36) and Italy (13.14).

Premier League Reliant on Other Clubs

The Premier League will now heavily rely on its other clubs to have deep runs in European competitions to accumulate enough points and climb into the top two spots. As it stands, the Bundesliga and Serie A would be awarded the extra Champions League places.

Holdings Manchester City and Arsenal have both won their Champions League groups, while Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Aston Villa have made progress in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Should a team from either the Bundesliga or Serie A win the Europa League without finishing in the top five of their own division, that country could have six teams in the Champions League.