The latest Manchester City news as a new rule change for the 2025/26 Champions League is reportedly being brought in.
UEFA are reportedly planning a rule change for next season's Champions League, just one season after the new format of the competition was brought in. It will see teams rewarded better for finishing higher in the group stage.
According to German outlet Bild, clubs that finish in the top eight positions of the league, and therefore qualify automatically for the knockout stage, will not only benefit in the round of 16, but also in the quarter-finals of the competition.
In the current format, teams who qualify automatically for the round of 16 are drawn against lower-ranked teams at home in the second leg. But there was no reward in the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Man City's 22nd place finish in the league meant that they had to go through a play-off round to enter the knockout round. They fell to a 6-3 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.
Real then overcame rivals Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 before falling to defeat against Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Despite winning the last 8 match, Arsenal reportedly criticised the format which seen them travel to the Bernabau in the second leg, despite finish eight places ahead of Real Madrid in the league stage.
Bild says that the UEFA club competitions committee decided on the change ahead of the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter on Saturday evening. The final approval of the change is 'considered a formality.'
It is added that other changes such as going straight to penalty shootouts after the 90 minutes instead of extra time, and two clubs from the same country not being able to meet until later stages of the competition, were discussed. However no decision was made on implementing any from next season.
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