The upcoming 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group stage draw will see some significant changes in the composition of Pot 1 teams. Barcelona has secured a place in Pot 1 following AS Roma’s exclusion from the competition. This was finalized after Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Torino which secured them a top-four spot in Serie A. As a result, Roma will now participate in the Europa League, and Bologna will take their place in the Champions League.
In the past, Pot 1 seeding held significant importance in the group stage draw. However, with the implementation of the new format next season, the relevance of the pots has diminished. Under the new format, only the Champions League winners are guaranteed a spot in Pot 1, with the rest of the places being determined by coefficient rankings. This means that teams from Pot 1 can now potentially face each other in the group stage fixtures.
Expanded Format and Draw Process
The 2024-25 Champions League will see an expansion from 32 to 36 teams, all of which will be placed in a single league table. Each team will play eight matches – four at home and four away. The draw process will involve a computer randomly selecting teams and pairing them up to determine the fixtures. The top eight teams will progress directly to the round of 16, while teams placed 25th to 36th will be eliminated. There will be no drop-down into the Europa League, marking a departure from previous seasons.
The draw for the group stage of the Champions League is set to take place on Thursday, August 29th. The teams have been pre-divided into different pots based on their coefficient rankings. Pot 1 includes top teams like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, while Pot 2 features clubs like Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Arsenal. Pot 4 is likely to see teams such as Celtic, AS Monaco, and Brest.
The upcoming 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season will see significant changes in the format and the composition of teams in Pot 1. With the new expanded format and the emphasis on coefficient rankings, the group stage draw promises to be an exciting and unpredictable event. Fans can look forward to watching some of the top clubs in Europe battle it out for Champions League glory under the revamped competition structure.