It may not be the prize fans were dreaming of several weeks ago, but Liverpool has secured Champions League football next season, with Tottenham’s recent loss to Chelsea meaning the Reds cannot finish lower than fourth this season.
And with next season’s Champions League featuring more teams and more matches, Liverpool are guaranteed millions of pounds in prize and TV money, regardless of how far they progress in the competition.
Jurgen Klopp and his players may be enduring a difficult end to the season, but the club can at least look forward to another European adventure next season, with Champions League qualification guaranteed for the 2024/25 season.
Liverpool’s alarming slump in form in recent weeks had allowed Aston Villa and Tottenham to close the gap on the Reds, with a slim possibility that Tottenham could overtake Liverpool, if they won all their remaining games, including the one at Anfield today.
However, following Tottenham’s recent loss to Chelsea, it is now mathematically impossible for Spurs to catch Liverpool, meaning Arne Slot (assuming he does become the Red’s new Head Coach), will have a Champions League campaign to plan, as well as his assault on the Premier League.
It also means Liverpool will be returning to the ‘top table’ of European competition, with the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, PSG, and Bayern Munich joining them in the pot when the Champions League draw takes place in August 2024.
And having won the competition six times, by far the most of any English team, Liverpool will feel they are back where they belong – amongst the elite of European football!
Champions League format to change next season
Qualification for the Champions League has been an important goal for Liverpool for many years, with the financial rewards greater than anything that can be achieved through domestic competitions.
But with the format of next season’s Champions League changing, to include more teams, and therefore more matches, Liverpool can expect to earn even more money through their participation in the competition.
That in turn will allow the club to spend more money on players, wages, and contract renewals, which will be vital over the coming months, as the club embarks on a new ear under Arne Slot.
How is the Champions League changing?
From the start of the 2024/25 season, the Champions League will expand to include 36 teams, which will compete in a single league, rather than smaller groups of 4. Each club will face eight different teams, four at home and four away, with the top eight teams in the league securing passage to the knockout stages, known as the round of 16.
Teams that finish from ninth to 24th, will compete in a knockout round playoff, to also secure their spot in the round of 16.
Once the teams have been confirmed for the round of 16, the competition reverts to a standard knock-out format, with a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, which will be held in Germany, at Bayern Munich’s Fußball Arena München.
