There is a growing likelihood that two-legged Champions League semi-finals will be scrapped as part of radical changes from the 2024-25 season, a new report has revealed. Leading European clubs have backed a proposal to play both semi-finals and the final during the same week in one city.
According to The Times, UEFA is yet to make a final decision, and an agreement would also need to be reached with the European Leagues organisation. However, the European Club Association (ECA) is firmly behind the idea of dropping two-legged semi-finals for the first time since the European Cup was launched in 1955.
If the proposal is accepted, the changes would be implemented from the 24-25 season, when UEFA launch the updated ‘Swiss model’ format, involving 10 group-stage games rather than six. Removing two-legged semi-finals would help counter the threat of a congested fixture list.
The chosen city to host the five-day ‘week of football’ would be required to welcome over 100,000 fans with suitable travel and accommodation facilities. With that said, UEFA would likely be restricted to Berlin, London, Istanbul, Madrid, Moscow, Paris and Rome as host cities.
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ECA Chairman and Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has publicly supported the idea. And despite reluctance amongst some UEFA chiefs, President Aleksander Ceferin is also in favour of the proposal. In September, he said: “Personally, I think it would be very good.
“If you look at the Super Bowl, it’s a great event, and they do it in a great way. They have concerts, and people go there and have fun. Even if you lose those two matches, you can get more revenue to compensate.”
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“It could be a fantastic event for broadcasters, for sponsors,” Ceferin added. “In the same week you could have the final of the women’s Champions League or youth competitions, you could really have a fantastic week of football. These knockout matches are different and more exciting.”
If the changes occur in the 24-25 season, it would mean the 2024 Wembley Stadium final would be the last in the current format. The following season is likely to pose a new-competition feel, and switching to one-legged semi-finals would be welcomed by clubs who have already increasingly struggled with fixture congestion in recent seasons.
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