UEFA has changed the seeding process for the Champions League group stage, which will take effect next season. The new system will place all the defending league champions and a former UCL champion from the previous years. Pots 2, 3 and 4 will all be determined by the UEFA coefficients.
The old system was solely based on the UEFA coefficient, which is based on the results of clubs competing in the five previous seasons of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The teams with the eight best coefficients were placed in Pot 1. This solution is less than ideal because it creates situations like Manchester City, winners of the Premier League, being placed in Pot 2 while Arsenal, the fourth place finishers in the Prem, were placed into Pot 1. Which team do you think has a better chance to win the UCL? Exactly. Gooners, get outta here.
Pot 1 this year consisted of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and FC Porto. With the new rules, FC Porto, Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona would all be dropped to Pot 2, with Paris Sait-Germain, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Juventus taking their spots.
This new system emphasizes the importance of winning your league or winning the Champions League title. The top seven leagues will be:
- Spain
- England
- Germany
- Italy
- Portugal
- France
- Russia
O, so all the Champions of their leagues are going to be put in one pot in the Champions League. Seems logical. Thanks UEFA.
