BREAKING: Champions League draw unveils new ‘Swiss-Style’ format, 36 teams to compete

The draw for the league phase of the new Champions League has been conducted, introducing a significant change in the competition’s format.

This year, the tournament will feature a ‘Swiss-style’ league phase, replacing the traditional group stage that fans have long been familiar with. Additionally, 36 teams will participate instead of the usual 32.

The league phase will extend until the end of January, as opposed to the usual December conclusion.

The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stages, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a spot in the last 16. Teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated from all competitions.

Key Fixtures:

• Man City: Home – Inter, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague; Away – PSG, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon, Bratislava.

• Inter Milan: Home – Leipzig, Arsenal, Red Star, Monaco; Away – Man City, Leverkusen, Young Boys, Sparta Praha.

• Bayern Munich: Home – PSG, Benfica, Dinamo, Slovan Bratislava; Away – Barcelona, Shakhtar, Feyenoord, Aston Villa.

• RB Leipzig: Home – Liverpool, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa; Away – Inter, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Sturm Graz.

• Borussia Dortmund: Home – Barcelona, Shakhtar, Celtic, Sturm Graz; Away – Real Madrid, Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, Bologna.

• Barcelona: Home – Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Young Boys, Brest; Away – Dortmund, Benfica, Red Star, Monaco.

• Real Madrid: Home – Dortmund, Milan, Salzburg, Stuttgart; Away – Liverpool, Atalanta, Lille, Brest.

• Liverpool: Home – Real Madrid, Leverkusen, Lille, Bologna; Away – Leipzig, Milan, PSV, Girona.

• PSG: Home – Man City, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Girona; Away – Bayern, Arsenal, Salzburg, Stuttgart.

• Atletico Madrid: Home – Leipzig, Leverkusen, Lille, Bratislava; Away – PSG, Benfica, Salzburg, Sparta.

• Atalanta: Home – Real Madrid, Arsenal, Celtic, Graz; Away – Barcelona, Shakhtar, Young Boys, Stuttgart.

• Club Brugge: Home – Dortmund, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa; Away – Man City, Milan, Celtic, Graz.

• Arsenal: Home – PSG, Shakhtar, Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco; Away – Inter Milan, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Girona.

• Bayer Leverkusen: Home – Inter Milan, AC Milan, RB Salzburg, Sparta Praha; Away – Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, Brest.

• AC Milan: Home – Liverpool, Brugge, Belgrade, Girona; Away – Real Madrid, Leverkusen, Dinamo, Bratislava.

• Benfica: Home – Barcelona, Atletico, Feyenoord, Bologna; Away – Bayern, Juventus, Red Star, Monaco.

• Juventus: Home – Man City, Benfica, PSV, Stuttgart; Away – Leipzig, Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa.

• Shakhtar: Home – Bayern, Atalanta, Young Boys, Brest; Away – Dortmund, Arsenal, PSV, Bologna.

• Young Boys: Home – Inter, Atalanta, Belgrade, Villa; Away – Barcelona, Shakhtar, Celtic, Stuttgart.

• Lille: Home – Real Madrid, Juventus, Feyenoord, Graz; Away – Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, Bologna.

• PSV: Home – Liverpool, Shakhtar, Sporting CP, Girona; Away – PSG, Juventus, Red Star, Brest.

• Feyenoord: Home – Bayern, Leverkusen, Salzburg, Sparta Praha; Away – Man City, Benfica, Lille, Girona.

• Red Star: Home – Barcelona, Benfica, PSV, Stuttgart; Away – Inter, Milan, Young Boys, Monaco.

• Celtic: Home – Leipzig, Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava; Away – Dortmund, Atalanta, Brugge, Aston Villa.

• Sporting Lisbon: Home – Man City, Arsenal, Lille, Bologna; Away – Leipzig, Brugge, PSV, Sturm Graz.

• Stuttgart: Home – PSG, Atalanta, Young Boys, Sparta Praha; Away – Real Madrid, Juventus, Red Star, Bratislava.

• Girona: Home – Liverpool, Arsenal, Feyenoord, Bratislava; Away – PSG, Milan, PSV, Sturm Graz.

• Bologna: Home – Dortmund, Shakhtar, Lille, Monaco; Away – Liverpool, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa.

• Aston Villa: Home – Bayern, Juventus, Celtic, Bologna; Away – Leipzig, Brugge, Young Boys, Monaco.

• Sparta Praha: Home – Inter, Atletico Madrid, Salzburg, Brest; Away – Man City, Leverkusen, Feyenoord, Stuttgart.

• Bratislava: Home – Man City, Milan, Dinamo, Stuttgart; Away – Bayern, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Girona.

• Monaco: Home – Barcelona, Benfica, Villa, Bologna; Away – Inter, Arsenal, Red Star, Dinamo.

• Brest: Home – Real Madrid, Leverkusen, PSV, Sturm Graz; Away – Barcelona, Shakhtar, Salzburg, Sparta Praha.

• Sturm Graz: Home – Leipzig, Brugge, Sporting Lisbon, Brest; Away – Dortmund, Atalanta, Lille, Girona.