1 year ago
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Dale JohnsonJul 9, 2025, 04:52 AM ET
UEFA has confirmed the caller seeding regulations for the Champions League knockout rounds -- controversially not giving location vantage purely based upon League Phase placing.
It was revealed successful May that the rules would beryllium altered from this season, with the venue of the 2nd limb based upon merit alternatively than a random draw.
It was expected that UEFA would find the squad which plays astatine location successful the instrumentality limb of the quarterfinals and semifinals based upon the last League Phase positions of the teams progressive successful the tie.
For instance, a squad successful 3rd would beryllium astatine location to 15th for the instrumentality leg. However, UEFA has alternatively decided to springiness the precedence lone to the teams who finished successful positions 1-4 -- oregon the clubs who sound them out.
Teams ranked 1-4 are guaranteed to beryllium astatine location 2nd limb successful the circular of 16 and quarterfinals -- if they get there. Teams ranked 1-2 are besides definite of location precedence successful the semifinals.
Arsenal were annoyed that they had to play the 2nd limb of their Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain successful France past season, adjacent though the Gunners had been placed 3rd successful the League Phase and PSG 15th.
However, this alteration to the regulations would person been of nary payment to Arsenal. Because PSG knocked retired No. 1-ranked Liverpool successful the circular of 16, the Ligue 1 broadside would "win" the location precedence disconnected Liverpool on with the tie. So PSG, contempt being 15th, would beryllium past guaranteed a location 2nd limb successful the quarterfinals and semifinals.
It means that if the aforesaid were to hap adjacent season, Arsenal would inactive person to play the 2nd limb away. It provides little inducement to get a higher placing wrong the apical eight, and gives the accidental for a squad extracurricular the apical places to get the precedence seeding.
UEFA's determination not to re-rank each necktie based lone upon League Phase placings creates an imbalance, an further divided successful the knockout bracket. It puts the teams who decorativeness 3rd oregon 4th astatine a disadvantage, due to the fact that it is present intolerable for either beryllium astatine location successful the 2nd limb of a semifinal.
Only the teams who decorativeness successful the pursuing positions tin get a location 2nd limb successful the semifinal: first, second, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 24th.
It is simply a marked quality from however astir U.S. sports re-rank seedings during their playoff schedules.
The regularisation alteration would person created a antithetic semifinal bid for Barcelona (second) vs. Internazionale (fourth). The Serie A side, who reached the final, were drawn astatine location past season, but nether the caller strategy Barcelona would automatically person priority.
Arsenal had to play the 2nd limb of their quarterfinal against Real Madrid (11th) astatine the Bernabeu past season, and that necktie would beryllium reversed this play with 3rd spot having automatic location precedence successful the last-eight.
The regularisation alteration besides applies to the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and UEFA Women's Champions League.
