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      Why pots no longer matter and no more second chances – all major changes to Champions League draw you may have missed

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      WELCOME to the brave new world of European football.More teams. More games. More prize money. More entertainment?The first draw of the new-look Champions League will take place tonightCredit: GettyTeams will no longer be drawn manuallyCredit: AFPCHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVEThe draw for UEFA’s new-look Champions League takes place today in Monaco.For the first time in 21 years there will be some major changes to the competition – starting with the removal of the group stage.Here’s everything you need to know about the new world of European football and some points you may have missed.Read More in FootballONE LEAGUEIt’s au revoir to the group stage and bienvenue to UEFA’s new league table format.Rather than being separated into groups, all 36 teams will now feature in a single league table.They will play eight games minimum – up from six.The top eight get a bye straight through to the last-16.Most read in Champions LeagueBut teams who finish from ninth to 24th will face an extra two-legged play-off – taking their totals up to TEN games.AI GENERATED DRAWGone are the days of awkward ex-pros painstakingly fumbling around trying to open plastic balls during a snooze-fest of a draw — now, after the first team is pulled out manually, someone presses a button and AI does the rest.The human touch at least gave fans watching from home someone to blame for their club’s unfavourable group. It also let you see Joe Cole’s fear as he tried to say Borussia Monchengladbach.FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSTeams will be drawn by AI – not manually from potsCredit: EPAYet those groups rarely threw up pure drama, instead seeing the same old teams saunter through to the knockouts via at least one dead rubber.Uefa’s hope is that the new format will put an end to that.Champions League releases new anthem as fuming fans say ‘the beautiful game has died’Blockbuster ties should be more frequent, the jeopardy of failing to  qualify more intense, making for an all-round more exciting spectacle.The firm providing software for the Champions League draw has already assured fans it will be safe from potential hackers.After the first team is drawn manually from Pot One, a button will be pressed and that team’s eight opponents are calculated within seconds on a screen.The software will also have a number of “checkers” within the system to ensure that no team can face more than two clubs from the same country, and no team can play against each other from the same nation.POTS DO NOT MATTERPots are nowhere near as important this time around.Being in Pot One is no longer a certainty for a simple route to the last 16 for Pep Guardiola’s men — eyeing a second Champions League crown after their 2023 triumph.Premier League champions Man City are not guaranteed an easy routeCredit: GettyCity crashed out in the quarters last term on penalties to Real Madrid, yet there is no stopping AI from pitting these two heavyweights together in the opening few weeks.Arne Slot faces the unenviable task of emulating Jurgen Klopp in this competition, the German taking Liverpool to three finals in six years.Their presence in Pot One alongside City is welcome but not without challenges with Dutchman Slot set to experience some tasty Anfield nights earlier than his predecessor.EIGHT GAMES MINIMUMThe introduction of this new format will see teams play a minimum of eight games – two more than the original group stage format.With teams each playing two more “group-phase” games, this new Champions League will allow Uefa to sell a total of 189 matches instead of 125, with the league stage alone boasting 144 clashes, up from 96.Teams will be forced to play more gamesCredit: GettyIt’s hardly a format that Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane will be licking their lips over given the fatigue they showcased for England in the summer.The teams that finish between ninth and 24th will have to play an additional two Play-Off games.Those that finish 25th and below will be eliminated.NO EUROPA LEAGUE ENTRIESThe teams that finish below 24th will NOT earn a spot in the Europa League.READ MORE SUN STORIESInstead, they will be eliminated entirely.From the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue following its existing format.Teams will no longer drop down to the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyNew Champions League formatEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.They will be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season. 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      What award is Cristiano Ronaldo being presented with at the Champions League draw?

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      THE Champions League draw will take place on Thursday evening – and there will be a special guest in attendance.Cristiano Ronaldo will feature at the revamped event to pick up yet another accolade – but what award is the footballing great adding to his collection?Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League five timesCredit: APCHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVEWhat award is Cristiano Ronaldo being presented with at the Champions League draw?Cristiano Ronaldo will be presented with a special Uefa award in recognition of his status as the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer.The Portuguese bagged 140 goals in 183 games in Europe’s premier club competition over the course of more than 18 years.Ronaldo is 11 goals clear of long-term rival Lionel Messi and 46 ahead of third-placed Lewandowski in the top scorer charts.READ MORE IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUEThe forward will be honoured at the inaugural 36-team league phase draw ceremony in Monaco on Thursday evening.Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa president, said: “Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation. “His extraordinary goal-scoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass. “His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours. Most read in Champions League”Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals. “His professionalism, work ethic, dedication, and ability to shine on the grandest stage are qualities that football players everywhere should aspire to emulate.”Ronaldo claimed the Golden Boot in seven separate Champions League seasons.The Portuguese legend has won the prestigious competition once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid – making him the first five-time winner in history.Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record in numbersAppearances: 183Goals: 140Wins: 5 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)Top scorer: 7 times (2007/08, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15*, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)Most goals in a single season: 17 (2013/14)Longest scoring streak: 11 gamesWhat TV channel is Champions League draw 2024/25 on and can it be live streamed?You can live steam the brand new Champions League league phase draw via multiple different platforms.On traditional TV, the draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.TNT Sports customers can also live stream the event via the discovery+ app/website.Fear not if you are not if you are not a TNT Sports customer – you can live stream the draw for FREE via the official TNT Sports YouTube channel.Uefa.com will also be providing a free stream of the huge event from Monaco.And if that wasn’t enough, you can follow along live via the BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport website.READ MORE SUN STORIESAlternatively, fans can find out who their teams will be drawn with through our live blog.Can I watch the Champions League draw 2024/25 for FREE?The Champions League draw will be broadcast for FREE on UEFA.com More

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      What is the new Champions League format and how does it work?

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      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football has produced some of the best matches the world has ever seen – but this season will be like no other.Jude Bellingham capped off his incredible debut season for Real Madrid by helping Los Blancos seal their 15th Champions League triumph in the 2023/24 final.Real Madrid celebrated their 15th Champions League in styleCredit: GettyCHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVEAnd the midfield maestro will be hoping his side can fend off English giants Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal to retain the title.But all teams are set to have a completely new route to the final courtesy of what will now be a league format.Luckily for fans, SunSport can give a clear explanation on how it will all work below.Read more on Champions League What is the new Champions League format?There will be one league table that all 36 qualified teams will participate in.Each club will play eight matches in the opening phase – four home games and four away games against seeded opposition in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.Clubs will only face other sides based on the pot they have been drawn out of and teams cannot face more than two opponents from the same country or from the same association.The top eight teams in the final table will automatically go through to the last 16.Most read in Champions LeagueThey will then be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides who were placed ninth to 24th in the table.Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from all European competitions this season – meaning that they will not drop into the Europa League similar to previous years.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.How will the knockout stages work?As mentioned earlier, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16 while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.Then from the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its previous format with the final taking place in a neutral venue.Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the competition and will NOT drop into the Europa League.What does this mean for the Europa League and Europa Conference League?Both competitions will see similar changes to those of the Champions League and will both feature 36 teams.The Europa League will follow the exact same format READ MORE SUN STORIESWhile, teams in the Europa Conference League will play six matches against six different opponents in the league phase. More

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      BBC host Mark Chapman jokes he’s ‘glad Rod Stewart’s not beside me’ for complicated Carabao Cup draw as fans slam ‘fix’

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      FANS blasted the Carabao Cup third-round draw as a “fix” after the complicated new format was introduced by BBC host Mark Chapman.The presenter even joked that he was “glad Rod Stewart and Martin O’Neill were not beside” him before he explained the changes.Mark Chapman was tasked with explaining the new Carabao Cup formatSir Stewart, 79, became and internet sensation after delivering the  2017 the Scottish Cup draw after a “few bevvies”.Sir Stewart ballsed it up after mixing up the numbers, shouting the wrong names out and putting his thumbs up to the camera.Former Ireland boss O’Neill had his own comical gaffe for the second-round of Carabao Cup draw last season.The Northern Irishman put each team ball to his mouth when it came out of the hat thinking it was a microphone to the amusement of fans.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSChapman didn’t want any repeats of these events and needed no distractions as he made subtle digs the new-look design.Expansive changes to the Champions League and Europa League this season have sparked up the need for the revised Carabao Cup format. Two bowls were used on Wednesday night to help the six European sides avoid fixture clashes. The first bowl only included the six Prem teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League.Most read in FootballThe other 26 teams were relegated to the second part of the draw.As such the first four teams picked were from the European bowl, which meant Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United lucked out with home fixtures.How the draw was laid out before teams were selectedCredit: Sky SportsFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIn a bid to make it a tad bit fairer, the final two games swapped so that two other European teams would be drawn away. Aston Villa and Tottenham were the last two European qualifiers left to be selected, so they face Wycombe Wanderers and Coventry City away.Smoking and vaping to be banned in pub gardens and outside football stadiumsChelsea were not included in the first “Europe” bowl as their Conference League round begins later on in the season.However, fans are horrified by the new approach but absolutely loved Chapman’s presenting skills.One fan wrote on X: “Even Mark Chapman knows this draw is a farce, he’s laughing as he’s describing it.”A second said: “Bloody love Mark Chapman. He knows this draw is wrong.”A third replied: “Chapman taking the p** out of the format is hilarious 😂.”While another noted: “The draw is biased and embarrassing. As a result of ensuring they can’t draw each other. All those teams should be away and allow the smaller teams a chance of a home giant-killing and important revenue.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe Premier League teams not in European competitions entered the Carabao Cup in the second round.Meanwhile, two additional matchweeks have been added to the calendar for the two European competitions as that is drawn on Thursday.Carabao Cup draw in fullLiverpool v West Ham UnitedManchester City v WatfordArsenal v Bolton WanderersManchester United v BarnsleyWycombe Wanderers v Aston VillaCoventry City v Tottenham HotspurWalsall v Leicester CityBrentford v Leyton OrientBlackpool v Sheffield WednesdayPreston North End v FulhamEverton v SouthamptonQueens Park Rangers v Crystal PalaceStoke City v Fleetwood TownBrighton & Hove Albion v Wolverhampton WanderersAFC Wimbledon v Newcastle UnitedChelsea v Barrow More

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      How to live stream Champions League draw for FREE and is the huge event on YouTube?

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      THE Champions League draw takes place TODAY – but it won’t be in the conventual manner fans are used to.This season’s elite competition marks the first time the brand new league phase will be adopted in place of the traditional group stage.The Champions League draw will take place todayCredit: GettyCHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVEAll clubs will be put in one 36-team league, with each side playing eight matches each.Each team in the Champions League will be put into one of four pots according to their Uefa coefficient.All clubs will play two teams from each of the four pots during the league phase, playing one match at home and one away.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLA team will be drawn out of the pot and then Uefa’s software will decide their eight opponents and whether they will be at home or away.After the eight gameweeks are completed, the top eight sides in the league will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while the clubs finishing in 9th to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase to determine who will join the top eight in the last-16.Clubs that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated, with no access to the Europa League.How to live stream the Champions League draw for FREEYou can live steam the brand new Champions League league phase draw via multiple different platforms.Most read in Champions LeagueOn traditional TV, the draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.TNT Sports customers can also live stream the event via the discovery+ app/website.Fear not if you are not if you are not a TNT Sports customer – you can live stream the draw for FREE via the official TNT Sports YouTube channel.Uefa.com will also be providing a free stream of the huge event from Monaco.And if that wasn’t enough, you can follow along live via the BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport website.Alternatively, fans can find out who their teams will be drawn with through our live blog.What time will the Champions League draw take place?The Champions League league phase draw will take place on Thursday, August 29.The draw will take place from 5pm BST.The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco will host. More

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      Chelsea risk being BANNED from European competitions over finances as Uefa close controversial loophole

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      CHELSEA are facing a challenge to comply with Uefa’s financial rules and could be barred from European competitions.It comes after the European body confirmed it’s stance on registering income.Chelsea face a race to comply with Uefa’s financial rulesCredit: AlamyUefa will NOT allow clubs to register earnings from selling assets to sister companies, which Chelsea have done to ease losses this summer.Todd Boehly and Clearlake have offset some of the club’s deficit by selling two of Chelsea’s hotels to a sister company for £76.5million. The women’s team, meanwhile, was sold to the club’s parent company two days before the end of the financial year in June.The Premier League has yet to close loopholes that have allowed Chelsea to register the sales as registered income. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBut Uefa will prevent clubs benefiting from income through selling assets this way, reports The Times.Any sanction or settlement for a breach of Uefa’s financial rules would not affect Chelsea in this season’s Conference League.However, in theory, if Chelsea fail to comply they could be excluded from European football next season amid a host of other punishments.Uefa did stress that all cases would have to be assessed individually by its independent panel. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThis loophole is banned by the English Football League for clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two.Uefa financial regulations are already more difficult to comply with than the Prem’s.Mykhailo Mudryk reveals his cheat meal and best Chelsea pals in Q&A Profit and Sustainability Rules, used by the English top-flight, permit clubs to lose a maximum of £105m over a rolling three-year period.But Uefa’s ‘football earnings’ rule allows clubs to lose only £34.5m over two seasons.Chelsea’s most recent accounts were published in April, and in them Boehly reaffirmed that the club are in line to subscribe with Uefa rules.The owners at Stamford Bridge have spent just shy of £1.2BILLION on transfers since arriving in May 2022.The club have raised cash through selling the likes of pure profit academy graduates Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid and Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa.But they have once again spent significantly more than they have earned, with Pedro Neto and Joao Felix among their raft of new signings as they continue to eye another striker before Friday’s deadline.What’s happened so far between Uefa and Cheslea?In September 2022, Chelsea were placed on a “watchlist” by Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body.They were among 19 European clubs who escaped action only because of Covid-related allowances. However, as they failed to qualify for Europe for the 2022-23 season they were not liable to any enforcement of Uefa’s financial rules.In June last year, Uefa closed another loophole that allowed clubs to spread the cost of a transfer fee over the length of the player’s contract. Uefa imposed a five-year maximum for players signed after July 1.Chelsea are still without a main front-of-shirt sponsor after two games of the season for the second consecutive year as they fetch a more lucrative deal.Back in 2019, AC Milan reached a settlement with Uefa to serve a one-year ban from European competition due to multiple financial breaches.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd in 2020, Manchester City were banned from the Champions League for two years and hit with a £25million fine after breaking FFP.The Citizens ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25NOTHING stays the same forever.And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25. More

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      How Champions League draw supercomputer will be protected from hackers – and third party employed to prevent fix claims

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      THE English firm providing the software for the Champions League draw have assured fans that they will be safe from potential hackers.Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa will find out their fate in Europe’s elite competition in Monaco tomorrow evening in a completely new format.The draw for this season’s Champions League takes place on Thursday eveningCredit: GETTYThe 2024/25 instalment of the competition will be the first run of its new formatCredit: GETTYAn English firm is in charge of making sure hackers don’t target the eventCredit: GETTYInstead of eight groups of four with each team drawn by hand, the 2024/25 campaign will instead feature a 36-team league with teams playing eight games home and away.The draw will also be different – largely generated by AI software from the London-based company AE Live – picking each side’s fixtures from four pots of nine teams.After the first team is drawn manually from pot 1, a button will be pressed on the stage and that team’s eight opponents – four home and four away – are calculated within seconds on a screen.The software will also have a number of “checkers” within the system to ensure that no team can face more than two teams from the same country, and no team can play against each other from the same nation.READ MORE UCL NEWSErnest and Young have been hired to act as consultants and audits for the draw to ensure everything goes smoothly.And a spokesman for AE Live, when asked about how prepared they are against hackers, said: “We take cyber security very seriously. “We are always held to account.“This is a very critical and sensitive issue. Most read in SportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSNew Champions League formatEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.They will be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season.”We have taken the highest industry practices to confirm it will be secure.“I can assure you as a company we have taken all the steps we can to make sure it is as safe and secure as possible. Champions League releases new anthem as fuming fans say ‘the beautiful game has died'”We have gone through the risk assessment but this is not new for us.”AE Live have been working alongside Uefa since last September to produce the software capable of executing the draw.The company also have a good relationship with the BBC and Sky Sports having worked on graphics and draws for the FA Cup and the Premier League. More

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      New details emerge of major broadcast change that saw BBC land rights to huge football competition

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      NEW details around the Champions League’s broadcasting change have been revealed.The BBC will broadcast a weekly highlights show of Europe’s premier competition for the first time in the 2024/25 campaign.Three different channels will have Champions League rights in the UK this seasonCredit: The TimesAmazon also have the rights to first pick of the Tuesday matches, while TNT Sports continue to show the remainder of the games.And according to The Times, this season’s Champions League will see a 20 per cent increase in earnings for clubs taking part.A rise in the broadcasting rights and sponsorship income is set to mean a more lucrative competition for all those involved.That is despite the tournament expanding from 32 to 36 teams.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt is understood the average earnings for Champions League teams last season was £54million – and £80m for English clubs.The increased revenue could be worth around £23m per year for English sides.Numbers from the 2022/23 season showed £114m in revenue for winners Manchester City, £81m for Chelsea, £71m Liverpool and £56m for Tottenham.A Uefa source claims the new Champions League format is the reason behind an increase in the price of broadcasting rights.Most read in Champions LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAll 36 teams will be in one league and play eight games, with the top eight automatically into the last 16 and ninth to 24th facing off in play-off ties.The source said: “There was declining interest in the old format, with some groups decided after only three or four rounds. The new format should keep the interest going much longer.”SunSport’s Latest Transfer HeadlinesThey also went on to add: “For the UK, we have highlights on the BBC for the first time, which is important to ensure greater eyeballs from free-to-air TV.”As well as a change in the number of teams and format, Uefa have also added two qualification spots for fifth place in Europe’s best performing leagues the previous season.For the 2024/25 campaign, this has seen Bologna and last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund secure places in the league stage.New Champions League formatEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.They will be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season. More