If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup revised from 2009 onwards
The UEFA Executive Committee today approved the proposed changes to both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup competitions for the three-year cycle between 2009 and 2012, as from the 2009-10 season, as follows:
UEFA Champions League
• No changes to the main competition, involving 32 teams, split into 8 groups of 4 teams in the group stage, followed by the knockout phase. The 8 teams that finish the groups in third place cross over into the knockout phase of the UEFA Cup.
• Access list changed according to the following principles: 22 teams qualify directly for the group phase instead of 16 (N3 of associations 1 to 3 in the ranking and champions of countries 10 to 12 are added); 10 teams qualify through a double qualification path: one reserved for the champions of the associations ranked 13 to 53 - except Liechtenstein - (5 teams qualify) and one reserved for non-champions of associations ranked 1 to 15 (5 teams qualify).
• Final to be played on a Saturday, same week of the year as today, with kick-off time at 20.45 CET.
• Matches in the first knockout round (last 16) to be split over four weeks instead of two, using dates reserved for the UEFA club competitions (February-March) to maximize live match opportunities.
• Third qualifying round (Q3) to be marketed centrally by UEFA.
UEFA Cup
• Main competition changed according to the following principles: first round (knockout) becomes part of the qualifying phase; the group phase consists of 48 teams, split into 12 groups of 4 teams; the top two in each group qualify for the knockout phase and are joined by the 8 teams that finish the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in third place.
The knockout phase, with 32 teams and 4 rounds, will lead to the final, played in a single match at a neutral venue.
• Access list changed according to the following principles: only the titleholders qualify directly or the group phase; all other clubs have to qualify; UEFA Cup qualifying phase consists of 4 rounds, according to the access list; 37 slots added to the qualifying phase to accommodate clubs that currently qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup (associations ranked 9 to 15 and 22 to 51, except Liechtenstein); the losers of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round (Q2) and third qualifying round (Q3) cross over into to the UEFA Cup, Q4 and group phase respectively.
• Matches to be played on Thursday night (and on Wednesday night during the exclusive UEFA Cup weeks), with two kick-off times, an early one and a late one, in principle at 19.05 and 21.05.
• Final to be played on a Wednesday at 20.45 CET.
• Full centralisation of media rights from the group stage (September); non exclusive presenting sponsor plus centralised match-ball for the group stage and full sponsorship centralisation (as for the UEFA Champions League) from the knockout stage (February).
The UEFA Intertoto Cup will be abolished.
Finally, for the UEFA Super Cup no changes are made to the format but commercially it will be bundled with the UEFA Champions League.
UEFA Media Services: ++41 848 04 27 27
