Liverpool's journey towards securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season may not solely rely on their position in the Premier League.
Liverpool narrowly missed out on qualification for the Champions League last term as they finished in fifth place. Jürgen Klopp has clear designs on his side returning to the Premier League's top four, saying ahead of the opener against Chelsea: "We don't play in the Champions League and nobody wants to hear it but for a club like Liverpool, it is a massive blow. It is not cool. In the world we are living in, with teams with endless resources, no one wants to hear that either but they have and have different circumstances."
The Reds though could make it to Europe's elite competition even if they fail to reach the top four. The Champions League format is set to undergo significant changes starting from the 2024/25 season. One of the key alterations is an increase in the number of teams involved, jumping from 32 to 36.
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This expansion creates four additional spaces up for grabs, providing an opportunity for teams outside of the traditional top four to secure Champions League football. Two of these extra spots will be allocated to teams from countries whose clubs collectively perform exceptionally well in UEFA competitions during the previous season.
Therefore, if a Premier League side achieves success in the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League this season, it will result in the team finishing fifth in the Premier League earning a coveted spot in the Champions League for the following campaign.
Had this rule been implemented for the current season, Liverpool's fifth-place finish would have been enough to secure Champions League football due to Manchester City winning the Champions League and West Ham United triumphing in the Conference League.
Similarly, Atalanta, who finished fifth in Serie A, would have benefited from Inter Milan reaching the Champions League final, while AS Roma and Fiorentina reached the final stages of the Europa League and Conference League respectively.
While Liverpool can still secure Champions League qualification by winning the Europa League this season, they could also benefit from this new rule change if they finish outside of the top four and fail to claim European silverware — with the Europa League being the only trophy that has evaded Klopp since his arrival in 2016.
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Interestingly, the change in rules could potentially lead to as many as seven Premier League clubs participating in the Champions League next season. However, this scenario would require both the Champions League and Europa League winners to be from the Premier League and finish outside the top five in the domestic league.
The revamped format for the 2024/25 season, known as the 'Swiss Model,' will eliminate the traditional group stage of the Champions League. Instead, all 36 participating teams will be placed into a single league table.
Each team will play eight games, split equally between home and away fixtures. The top eight teams in the table will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to determine the remaining eight spots in the knockout stage.
The increase in the number of competitors will undoubtedly have a significant impact on an already-packed football calendar. The total number of Champions League matches will rise from 125 to 189 starting from the 2024/25 season.
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This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, based on a piece first written by Tom Cavilla for the Liverpool ECHO. You can read the original piece by clicking here. A Liverpool.com news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to matt.addison@reachplc.com.