After Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal filed a protest in April, the first season of the redesigned Champions League is finally ended, with Paris Saint-Germain defeating Inter Milan 5-0, setting a new record. However, the next season will be very different.
Arteta’s team was one of the final four teams remaining at the top table of Europe, along with their semi-final rivals Luis Enrique’s PSG, Barcelona, and Inter Milan. However, the former emerged victorious following a resounding victory in Munich, Germany.
There is now a layoff period following the final match of the 2024–25 season as teams worldwide, and particularly in Europe, get ready for football to return. Additionally, the Champions League may change, according to rumors.
UEFA Set to Make Tweak to 25/26 Champions League Rules
Changes were decided in a recent UEFA meeting after Arsenal complaints
As previously stated, in mid-April, Arsenal, one of the largest teams to never win the Champions League, complained to UEFA, the organization that organizes the tournament. They were annoyed that they were drawn at random to play the first leg at home, regardless of where they placed in the league phase.
Both the two-leg semi-final matchup against PSG, who finished 15th this season, and the Gunners’ quarterfinal matchup with Real Madrid, who finished 11th, required them to fly to Spain for the second leg.
A team’s league phase standing dictated their seeding in the playoffs in 2024–2025, the first year of the new system. While the play-off winners had to play an extra match, teams that placed in the top eight received a bye into the Round of 16.
Arteta, who is considered to be among the top managers in international football, and his staff expressed their displeasure that his team was not compensated for their advantageous league position after defeating the defending champions, Los Blancos.
However, their complaints have not gone unanswered, and UEFA has taken note of their discontent, according to a report from the German daily Bild via The Mirror. The governing body has essentially decided to alter the way teams are selected in knockout matches.
The report claims that the UEFA Club Competitions Committee met on Friday to discuss a wide range of possible changes to the campaign for the upcoming season. They reportedly agreed on the change prior to the recent final, and now final approval is anticipated. The aforementioned meeting examined a number of changes, including how teams were selected for the knockout stages and other options, such as forgoing extra time and going straight to a penalty shootout. It also looked into ways to avoid intra-league matches.
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