UEFA has announced key changes to the Champions League knockout stage aimed at giving greater weight to league-stage performance and injecting fresh drama into the tournament.
Under the new format, clubs that finish higher in the league stage will now be guaranteed to play the second leg of their knockout ties at home—scrapping the previous system where home advantage was decided by a random draw.
UEFA further revealed that if a lower-ranked team knocks out a higher-ranked opponent, they will inherit the home advantage in the next round. This means that underdogs who cause upsets will not only advance but also gain a strategic edge.
UEFA says the changes are designed to “increase the competitive value of the league phase” and reward consistent performance.
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The move is also seen as a way to encourage more surprises, with last season’s fairy-tale runs by clubs like Brest and Djurgården cited as examples of the kind of unpredictability the governing body hopes to promote.
The reforms will take effect in the next Champions League campaign.
