This week after much anticipation fans will finally get a glimpse of the new 2024-25 Champions League format.
In the biggest shake-up since its founding, UEFA have banished the group stage in favour of an all new-league phase which consists of 36 teams instead of the previous 32-team roster.
Each club will play a staggering eight games, four home and four away against eight different opponents.
However, one of the most notable and so far relatively unnoticed changes in this season’s schedule is that some of the games will be played on a Thursday instead of the usual Tuesday and Wednesday matchday slots.
Arsenal fans may already be aware of the bizarre change since it directly affects Mikel Arteta’s men on their very first matchday when they travel to Italy to face Atalanta on Thursday, September 19.
In the biggest shake-up since its founding, UEFA have banished the group stage in favour of an all new-league phase
As a result of the new format, some games will be played on Thursday this week instead of the usual Tuesday and Wednesday matchday slots
Arsenal are one of the six teams who will get their Champions League campaign underway on Thursday, September 19
Why are there Champions League games on Thursday?
In a shake up which nobody saw coming, some of the opening matches of the new Champions League will be played on Thursday.
There is actually a good and logical reason for the change however.
For the new European season, UEFA have confirmed that each of their three competitions, so the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference league will have one exclusive matchweek without fixtures overlapping from the other two tournaments.
UEFA confirmed that the alteration was made to spread focus around the other competitions with the hope that fans wouldn’t lose interest as easily in the second and third tier competition fixtures.
Which sometimes was the case in previous seasons after fans had already watched their dose of European football with the Champions League games on Tuesday and Wednesday and wouldn’t tune into the Thursday and Friday matchday fixtures.
For the new European season, UEFA have confirmed that each of their three competitions will have one exclusive matchweek without fixtures overlapping from the other two tournaments
When are the exclusive weeks for each competition?
The Champions League’s exclusive week will take place on Matchday 1 of the competition.
So the opening fixtures will be spread across three days from Tuesday, September 17 until Thursday, September 19th.
For the Europa League, their exclusive week will take place the following week, with games taking place on Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday 26.
The exclusive week for the Conference League will take place a few weeks later on Thursday, December 19.
Despite no other European competition matches taking place that week, all fixtures for the Conference League will take place on Thursday, December 19 at the same time.
The Europa League’s exclusive week will take place the following week after the Champions League, with games taking place on both Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday 26.
The exclusive week for the Conference League will take place a few weeks later on Thursday, December 19
Will there be more Thursday Champions League fixtures in the future?
Apart from the three exclusive matchday weeks, for the majority of all other matchweeks UEFA will follow the same fixtures schedule as previous years.
Champions League games will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesday for the most parts, whilst the Europa League and Conference League games will take place on Thursdays.
Champions League games will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesday for the most parts apart from the three exclusive matchday weeks
Why are there Carabao Cup games on the same week as the Champions League?
European club competitions isn’t the only tournament to have undergone a major format shake-up this season.
The Carabao Cup had to alter the format of their 2024-25 schedule due to the expansion of the Champions League and Europa League.
They introduced a new format which will see some matchdays be played across a two week period, instead of one. Which is the case for matchday 3 this week.
Thanks to the new extended European league format the two competitions fixtures dates directly clashed with the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The Carabao Cup third round fixtures are set to be played out across the two weeks beginning September 16 and September 23.
The Carabao Cup had to alter the format of their 2024-25 schedule due to the expansion of the Champions League and Europa League.
This is because Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa will all play their first matches in the Champions League on September 17 and 18, whilst Manchester United and Tottenham are set to play their first game in the Europa League the following week.
To ensure there is no clash with European and Cup fixtures, the EFL have enforced new rules for the third round of the draw which will avoid any mishaps.
But it also meant that the four teams involved in the Champions League can’t come up against Tottenham or Manchester United or each other.