The Champions League Its 2025-26 edition begins with the first qualifying round this Tuesday, July 8. However, for what will be this new season and like Europa y Conference Leaguea Rule change that will have influence on the fight for the title.
The three competences of UEFA They knew how to change format in the 2024-25 season with 36 teams in a single league phase with direct classified to the round of 16 and others to a playoff. These qualifying phases have been defined based on the final positions of that league phase.
The qualifying phases have had Ida-Vuelta games for the quarterfinals of the quarterfinals and semifinals, which established their locals by raffle. That is, the general classification of the League phase to define the premises in one match or the other was not taken into account.
The Champions League raffle will no longer influence the locations in qualifying phases (Getty Images).
Now, this definitely changes, as UEFA has confirmed. The qualifying phase changes its rule in the locals of the quarterfinals and semifinals, which can influence precisely for the definition of the title, that is, in the finalists.
This is the change of UEFA rule for the Champions League
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From the 2025-2026 edition, the UEFA Champions League changes its rule of locals for the qualifying phases. Now, The final positions of the league phases will be decisive to determine it. As?
Basically, Local will be granted in the second match to those teams with better positions in the League phase, so this criterion will not be determined through the draw.
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In this way, the direct classified to the round of 16, For having finished the first to fourth place they will play the second leg in the quarterfinals at home. To classify, the first and second will also do so in the semifinals.
This is a resounding change, since in the 2024-25 edition of the Champions League, for example, this was not fulfilled when Inter and Barcelona played semifinals. Barça had remained ahead of the ‘Nerazzurri’ in the league phase and the second leg was played at the Giuseppe Meazza.
UEFA clarification about its new rule for the Champions League
However, according to UEFA, If a standard head is eliminated in a previous round, said team that eliminated it does not inherit that location advantage in the second legbut maintains the position in which the league phase ended.
For example, if the eighth of a league phase eliminated the first, the next tie, if it touches him against the third, he will define as the same visitor.
Why is this rule change important for the definition of the Champions League title?
The definition of the locations in the elimination phase for teams with the best position in the league stage is an important change for the definition of the title in this UEFA Champions League, as well as in Europe and Conference League. Because?
It is that the second return match can result in a benefit (or not) for said team that ended in good position in the league phase. However, this forces those teams that did not have a good position to always define a visitor in the qualifying phases.
