The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will begin implementing a new system when conducting the draw for the UEFA Champions League starting from the next season 2024/2025.
The new format of the tournament will see an increase in the number of teams to 36 in a single group stage, marking the biggest change in the competition since 1992. The most significant difference will be the increase in the number of matches in the group stage from six to eight matches.
Sky Sports network revealed another change discussed by its correspondent, Kaveh Solhekol, confirming that the draw for the upcoming season will not be conducted manually using random balls as we have been accustomed to in previous years.
The reason behind this move is to reduce the duration of the manual draw process significantly. It was expected to take between three to four hours with the new format of the Champions League, in addition to the need for 900 balls.
He clarified that the draw will be initially conducted manually to determine the teams, after which the computer will select the opponents. An English company is responsible for designing the program that will be used in the draw.
At the moment, there are no indications of any changes to the format of the competition itself. It is expected to proceed in the manner recently announced, starting from the next season.