Champions League 2024 Format — What Changed for the Coefficient Calculation
In September 2024, the UEFA Champions League launched its new "Swiss system" with 36 clubs in a single league phase. This is the biggest structural change to the competition since the introduction of the group stage in 1992. For UEFA coefficients, this is more than just "more games" — the change shifts point potential between associations in ways that fundamentally reshape the ranking race for years to come.
What changed concretely
The old format had 32 clubs in 8 groups of four, 6 games per club in the group stage, then 16 clubs in the knockout rounds from round of 16. The new format:
- 36 clubs instead of 32 in the league phase (four extra slots: two from EPS, one from a UEFA coefficient bonus for historic top clubs, one from format expansion).
- 8 games per club in the league phase instead of 6 (4 home, 4 away against different opponents — no more home-and-away in the preliminary stage).
- One single table with all 36 clubs, sorted by points, goal difference, away goals, etc.
- Top 8 directly to round of 16, places 9-24 play playoffs (two rounds), places 25-36 are eliminated without playoff participation.
- Maximum 17 games per club possible (8 league + 2 playoff + 8 KO) up to the final, vs. maximum 13 in the old format. That's a 31% increase in possible points per club.
Impact on the association coefficient
The decisive mechanism: more games means more points, but UEFA adjusted the bonus points for league-phase participation so the change wouldn't trigger automatic coefficient inflation.
In detail: Before 2024 there were 4 points for group-phase participation. From 2024 onward there are still 4 points for league-phase participation, but with 8 instead of 6 games. That somewhat normalizes the per-game reward, but dramatically changes distribution:
- Clubs that would have been eliminated early in the old format (5th or 6th in a group of four) now get 2 extra games and can still collect points. Advantage for mid-strength associations.
- Clubs that reach deep knockout rounds get more points than before — because they have both the extra league-phase games and have to play the playoff round if they don't finish in the top 8.
- Associations with many CL clubs (England with 4-5, Italy with 4) benefit disproportionately, because the extra game volume multiplies.
EPS — the new premium mechanism
With the format update, two extra Champions League slots were introduced that aren't tied to the historical 5-year ranking, but to the current season's performance: European Performance Spots (EPS).
EPS works like this: associations are ranked by their performance in the current season (same algorithm as the association coefficient, but only based on the current season). The two associations with the highest performance receive an extra direct CL slot for the next season.
Concretely: in 2024/25 England got an extra CL slot for 2025/26, because Premier League clubs delivered the highest average season coefficient. Italy also got one, with a small margin over Spain.
EPS creates an immediate incentive for strong current seasons — and makes the coefficient race more volatile, because a single good matchday can completely shift the EPS ranking.
Who benefits from the new format
The winners of the format update are:
- England: 4-5 CL clubs per season, each with 8 league-phase games. Maximum point potential per season is ~25% higher than in the old format.
- Italy: 4 CL clubs, defensive-tactical league strength that suits the extended league phase better than a short group stage.
- Associations with underdogs: Clubs from mid-strength associations (Belgium, Czechia, Scotland) get 8 instead of 6 league-phase games, which increases the chance for surprise points.
The losers:
- Spain (relatively): Had a clear advantage in the old format through Real Madrid's consistency and Sevilla's EL efficiency. In the new format, average league-phase performance counts more — and Atlético and Barcelona's volatility drags down the association average.
- Associations with only 1-2 CL clubs: France, Türkiye, Netherlands get fewer extra games because they have less CL representation. The format expansion thus widens their gap to the top.
What this means for upcoming seasons
First: England's position as #1 is structurally cemented as long as the Premier League continues to send 4-5 CL clubs. Second: Italy has a clear path to second place, because the format suits Serie A's tactical strengths. Third: Spain and Germany compete for third or fourth in a tighter race than in the 2010s, with France as outsider.
For smaller associations, the new format means: the CL plateau is more reachable, but the top plateau (top 4) is even harder to reach. The middle of the ranking (places 7-15) becomes more volatile, with frequent ups and downs between seasons.
Live data on the new format
The main page shows the current 5-year ranking with all new format effects already factored in. The explainer breaks down the calculation details — and the association pages show how the format affects each country with concrete season-by-season contributions.