Beginning with the 2024–25 season, the Champions League will be restructured, which might have a significant effect on Liverpool and other English clubs.
The league will now consist of 36 clubs instead of 32 under the divisive format, which also eliminates the customary group stage.
Instead, all 36 qualifying clubs will play eight games, with four of those games being played at home and four away.
The top eight teams in the new league stage will automatically advance to the round of 16, as will the remaining teams. The remaining eight clubs participating in the last 16 will be decided by a two-legged play-off between teams in ninth through 24th place.
The surviving teams then compete to win the Champions League trophy in the knockout stage, which continues with the same rules as the present format.
In addition to the new format, UEFA is also planning to make another key adjustment that might have a big influence on English clubs.
Liverpool and other clubs profit from a new UEFA rule.
The two best-performing European nations from the previous season will receive additional slots for the new Champions League via the UEFA co-efficient system.
Additionally, the country that came in fifth place in UEFA’s standings receives an additional spot.
The clubs from England and Italy have done the best during the current 2022–23 season, thus if the revised rules were to be put into effect for the following season, both countries would receive an additional Champions League spot.
Therefore, Liverpool, which presently holds the fifth-place finish in the Premier League, would be given a slot in the competition even if they did not finish in the top four in England.
The extra berth will only be awarded based on next season’s co-efficient rankings in time for the new structure to start, which is unfortunate for the Reds or whichever club finishes fifth this season.
But as long as English clubs continue to do well in Europe, it is unquestionably a backup plan for clubs that are unable to get in the top four.