The Champions League rule changes to affect Arsenal next season as UEFA announces new format
Arsenal will be participating in the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming season, which was their initial goal since August, as desired by Mikel Arteta and his team.
Although the 2022/23 season didn’t go as planned, and they couldn’t secure the Premier League title, there is a slight feeling of disappointment. However, upon careful consideration, Arteta is content knowing that his team will return to the highest level of European football, something they haven’t experienced since 2017.
“We wanted to bring the club back to the Champions League,” Arteta said after Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Wolves at the weekend. “That was the main target. That was obviously a big demand in the summer before we did certain things and before we managed to keep some of our players.
“Then the journey started and day by day, you start to have a feeling that the team is moving in the right direction and the energy and spirit is really good. Then you start to generate some belief. We didn’t expect to finish where we are. I think it’s the third best record in the club, with the history of the club, the most wins ever.
“It’s a lot but it’s still not enough to win it. We understand where the level is. If we want to be the real deal, we can’t be happy with what we have, and we have to be next season much better.”
Arsenal’s second-place finish in the Premier League grants them a spot in the group phase of the Champions League for the following season. However, it’s worth noting that the format of the competition will change in 2024/25, as announced by UEFA. Instead of the current 32-team group stage, there will be a single league consisting of all 36 participating clubs. This modification will provide four additional teams with the opportunity to compete against Europe’s best clubs.
The specific implications of these changes for Arsenal are yet to be determined. Nevertheless, their transition from the Europa League to the Champions League will undoubtedly have an impact on the club as they head into the upcoming season. This impact extends beyond simply playing matches on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of Thursdays.
Since Arsenal didn’t win the Premier League or the Europa League, they won’t be placed in Pot 1 during the Champions League group stage draw in August. Initially, it seemed like they would be in Pot 3 due to their 23rd ranking on the UEFA coefficient table. However, the situation has changed.
Several teams, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax, and Villarreal, failed to secure a top-four finish in their respective leagues. As a result, Arsenal is now projected to be in Pot 2. This advantageous position would enable them to avoid strong teams like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the group stage, assuming Juventus does not win their appeal against a points deduction in Serie A.
Furthermore, the financial rewards in the Champions League are much higher compared to the Europa League. Based on this season’s figures, Arsenal is expected to earn £13.4 million just by participating in the group phase of the Champions League, a significant increase from the £3.1 million they received for reaching the group stage of the Europa League.
Another important distinction is the qualification process. In the Europa League this season, Arsenal received a bye to the round of 16 as a result of topping their group.
However, in the Champions League, the top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the round of 16. This means that if Arsenal successfully advance from the group stage, they won’t have to wait until March of next year to continue their European campaign; they can proceed directly to the knockout stage.
The Champions League rule changes to affect Arsenal next season as UEFA announces new format