Champions League Draw to Be Computer Generated Starting Next Season
This significant alteration is part of the largest overhaul the Champions League has seen in years, including an expansion to 36 teams.
Starting from the next season, the draw for the Champions League will be conducted by a computer, following nearly four hours of manual trial runs.
This significant alteration is part of the largest overhaul the Champions League has seen in years, including an expansion to 36 teams. The traditional format of eight groups will be abandoned, and instead, a single league format will be adopted where each of the 36 teams will play eight matches against eight different teams.
Similar to the existing system, teams will be categorised into four pots according to their coefficient rankings. Each team will play against two teams from each pot, including their own, with the condition that teams from the same country will not compete against each other in the opening stage.
The complexity of the new draw format presented challenges during UEFA's trial runs. The traditional method of selecting teams one by one from different pots would have taken up to four hours, involving up to 900 balls due to the intricate nature of the draw.
To streamline this process and reduce the duration, UEFA has decided to automate the draw partially. The initial selection of a team from pot one will still be done manually, but a computer will then determine the eight opponents for that team and schedule the matches.
UEFA assures that the computerised system will maintain fairness and will undergo an audit by the accounting firm Ernst & Young.
The top eight teams from the league stage will advance directly to the round-of-16, while those ranking ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged playoff to progress. The draw for the round-of-16 will also introduce seeding based on the teams' performance in the league phase.
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This season’s Champions League knockout phase is in full swing with Arsenal amongst the latest sides to progress to the quarter-finals earlier this week. You can find information in all remaining Champions League last-16 fixtures on our dedicated football page.
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