The New UEFA Competition Format

01-04-2022

Sports are constantly growing and evolving in today’s world, and this even applies to events like UEFA competitions. With the upcoming changes taking effect, those that engage in sports betting Zambia will need to know what to expect.

UEFA Competition Format Changes

One of the first changes spectators will notice is that the number of teams competing in the league is increasing from 32 to 36. Along the same lines, the traditional group stage is being replaced with a single league stage. Every team participating in the league will use the same stage going forward.

Each team competing in the UEFA will now play at least 10 games each, with a different opponent every time. Five of those games are played at home, while the other five are played on the road. This is a change from the previous format, in which teams played six games versus three opponents.

Whoever ranks in the top eight will move on to the knockout stage of the competition. The ninth to 24th place ranked teams move on to a playoff. The winners of the playoff then move forward in the competition.

UEFA Europa League Competition Changes

The UEFA Europa League is also changing the way its competitions work. They have eliminated the away goals rule starting with the current season. The main reason for the changed rule is that statistically teams are winning away games more now than they ever were in the past. This made the tiebreakers an unnecessary part of the rules.

The rule was also eliminated due to factors that include better infrastructure, calendar changes, better travel conditions, and standardized pitches.

This is good news for those who regularly bet on these games. It means they no longer have to mentally calculate goals or track the many scorelines that apply to UEFA games.

Any series that takes longer than 180 minutes gets two extra 15 minute time periods added. By the end of the 15 minute periods there needs to be a clear winner. If there still isn’t a penalty-kick shootout is played to eliminate one team.

Many professionals feel that eliminating the away goals rule was the right thing to do because the rule was considered unfair. The lack of an away goals rule now means that games are more likely to include penalties and extra time.

Previous Rule Changes

This is not the first time that the UEFA has changed their rules. Previously, the rules concerning qualifying for the Super Cup were different than they are today. These days any team that wins a Europa League game not only gets to compete in that year’s Super Cup, but also the UEFA Champions League Tournament.

The changes being applied to the 2021-2022 UEFA competitions will likely stay in place permanently. These changes were made to help level the playing field and ensure that games go smoothly. Only time will tell if the UEFA chooses to change the format further or if the current changes are all that’s needed.