The Champions League is set for a change in the coming years to include two wild-card entries, and BBC reporter Simon Stone revealed that this should all be signed and sealed ‘within 36 hours’.
Arsenal haven’t tasted Champions League football since 2017 when we were painfully defeated by Bayern Munich, and look set to miss out on qualifying for next year’s edition also.
Our best shot at qualifying would be through winning the Europa League, but with eight teams still remaining in the competition, that will certainly be no gimme.
Looking forwards though, our chances of qualifying could be boosted by new rules which are set to come into force in 2024, although it will be far from straight-forward.
The new format is set to accommodate 36 entries, with two of those new teams set to be awarded wildcards due to their UEFA co-efficient points the BBC reported, going to the two highest ranked teams not qualifying via their league position, with England likely to profit strongly thanks to the number of top teams vying for very few positions.
While these new rules are yet to be agreed via the committee, Simon Stone understands that this is ‘99%’ likely to happen, and is expecting it to be completed before tomorrow night.
He posted on his Twitter account: “Told its 99% certain the new 36 team Champions League, including 10-match ‘Swiss style’ first section from 2024 will be agreed and signed off within next 36 hours.”
Will the wildcard rule likely include an English team each year?
Patrick
The only reason FIFA want more games is to pay the obscene salaries of players in the elite leagues and their entourage of leeches.
A better answer is to slash the number of games and the ridiculous salaries .
Premier league should be reduced to 28 games by having two conferences of ten teams each Northern and Southern. Each conference member plays the other 9 members home and away = 18 games and plays the other conference members once 5 home 5 away = 10 games Total 28 games.
Scap the League cup entirely.
CL should have the same group stage format 6 games. However only the winner to advance to the knock out stage so no round of 16 but go directly to the quarterfinals. Those teams knocked out do not go into the Europa
league. Then like the final both the the quarter final and semis to be one leg only. So 9 games not 13. Pemier league teams to enter the FA cup in the 4th round. This all means between 12 and 20 less games a season. So the summer break could be extended by a month and there can be a months winter break in January after the Boxing day NewYears day round of matches.
But greed continues to drive the ridiculous scheduling.
It’s only two weeks of international break and we are all clamouring for the PL games to resume.
I personally don’t like this your idea, my opinion though……..
I’d go back to the old system where only the winners of the league qualify, it is called the CHAMPIONS league after all, and make it a straight knockout from the 1st round.
Going back to those days I was behind any British team winning. Now you’re up against 3 other home teams so the rivalry is crazy.