The new 36-team UEFA Champions
League format was introduced last season. French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the title for the first time in history. This season, the Champions League will be held for the second time in this format, with the draw for the league stage taking place tomorrow.
The draw will be held on Thursday at 10pm, Bangladesh time. Venue—Monaco.
The new format eliminates the need for separate groups. Each team will play eight different teams in the 36-team league stage. A draw will determine which team will face which eight opponents. The teams will be divided into four pots based on UEFA's coefficient rankings. Defending champions PSG will be in pot one.
28 teams have already qualified directly for the league stage, based on their performance in their domestic leagues. This includes English club Tottenham Hotspur, who will play directly in the Champions League this season after winning the Europa League last season.
On the other hand, seven teams
are coming from the qualifiers. Three teams have already secured their places in the main round from the play-offs that ended last night. The remaining four teams will be determined after the four play-off matches that end tonight.
Which teams will be in which pot will be finalized tomorrow (Thursday) at noon Bangladesh time, based on UEFA's coefficient rankings.
As excitement over the new format has increased, so has the excitement over the draw. Fans are now waiting to see which opponents their favourite teams will face this season.
