Champions League, be careful Italy, so you risk not having the fifth club

One win, two draws and one defeat. With this balance, the fifth day of the Champions League for the Italians has been recorded, a performance which today would prevent us from bringing the fifth team into next year’s edition. In fact, from 2024 there will be an expansion from 32 to 36 teams, which will compete in a sort of single large group in which each club will play at least eight matches against always different opponents identified through a draw. Once this phase is completed, which will take place from September 2024 to January 2025, the top eight in the ranking will directly advance to the round of 16, while the teams from ninth to twenty-fourth position will be involved in the round of 16.

the fifth team

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Therefore, the Champions League will open its doors to four other teams starting next year. Of these additional places, two will be assigned based on the first two positions in the ranking of the individual federations for the last sports season, therefore 2023-24. Italy currently occupies third position with 8,571 points, behind Turkey (9,000) and Germany (8,785); outside the podium are Belgium (8,400), Spain (8,312), England (8,250) and France (7,083). Considering that the most fearsome rivals are still behind us, it is legitimate to have a high level of optimism in view of the subsequent phases, also because only Milan is seriously at risk of not advancing. In any case, it will be even more fundamental to get through the groups with the greatest number of representatives possible in all three cups to get off on the right foot in the Champions League to come.