Changes to the Champions League

The Champions League will continue to have a 32-team group stage and a 16-club knockout phase and the Europa League remains at 48 teams, although in a new development the winners will automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage as now they can potentially take part in a play-off round.

In a power shift toward Europe’s wealthiest clubs, UEFA has agreed to give more guaranteed Champions League group-stage places to the four highest-ranked leagues.

Serie A is now represented in the Champions League by a maximum of three teams, one of which has to dispute a play-off round. “We spoke to everyone. the feeling we had was that they always wanted to stay”.

And the UEFA Europa League offers the ideal excuse for all you footie fanatics to visit far-flung European destinations you’ve always wanted to visit.

Before now, only La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League were guaranteed three places in the group stage, with a fourth possible through play-offs.

Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, left, holds his “best player of the year” trophy, as he poses with Real Madrid’s forward Gareth Bale, right, who was nominated for the same award, and Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez, during the UEFA Champions League draw, at the Grimaldi Forum, in Monaco, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016.

The changes are UEFA’s attempt to make the biggest clubs on the continent happy.

In Italy only the top two qualify automatically with third contesting a play-off, which their clubs have failed to negotiate for the last three seasons.

UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters that the format itself would remain the same with a qualifying stage, followed by a 32-team group stage and then a knockout competition.

The Europa League winners will now also enter the competition in the group stage rather than needing to go through a round of qualifying.

Currently, the top three teams from the top three leagues go straight into the Champions League.

It is understood representatives from UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) discussed a variety of options to ward off the threat of a breakaway Super League.

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Legia Warsaw completes the group, becoming Poland’s first team in the Champions League proper in 20 years.

Despite its vast prestige, the Champions League has struggled to keep pace with the Premier League’s revenue growth.