UEFA unveils new-look Champions League details

The UEFA Champions League is "about to undergo major changes" and European soccer's governing body has revealed those tweaks as the field grows to 36 clubs and a new seeding system takes effect. The top two teams "will be kept apart until the final" and the group stage will be "replaced with a single table league of 36 clubs which is split into four sections." Teams will be seeded "based upon their finishing positions," with the top eight going directly into the Round of 16. Teams from outside of Europe, notably Saudi Arabia, "will not be invited to participate." The final also "will not be on the move beyond the boundaries of Europe." Relegation and promotion between the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League "was initially considered before being dismissed for fear of killing domestic leagues" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/13).