 "UEFA Champions League Draw: Date, time, live streaming and everything else you need to know")
It’s not just the UEFA Champions League that is set for a new format in the 2024-25 season, the draw for the brand new league phase of the continental event will also witness a first this year.
For the first time since 2003, the Champions League will not be played as a 32-team event divided into eight groups comprising four teams each. Instead, the Union of European Football Associations has decided to add four more teams to the mix while doing away with the concept of groups entirely.
Instead, it will have each team play eight matches — four home and as many away — during the league phase. The opponents for a team will be decided during the draw, in which the 36 teams will be put into four seeding pots on the basis of their ranking in their respective leagues.
Where things get really interesting as far as the draw is concerned is the manner in which the teams and their opponents are finalised. Earlier it used to be people — specifically former players — who would pick two balls containing the names of participating clubs from two different bowls to determine match-ups.
In the new Champions League draw, it is a computer software that will be assisting humans in carrying out the task of determining match-ups. And the UEFA and the developers of the software are confident of said technology being fast and safe from hackers.
“We have taken all steps we possibly can to make it as safe and secure as possible,” said David Gill of AE Live, the English software firm that designed the draw process for a gala ceremony. “This is not new for us.”
As for the draw itself, here’s everything you need to know:
When will the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 draw take place?
The draw for the league phase of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League will take place on Thursday, 29 August starting at 9.30 pm IST (6 pm local time).
Where will the Champions League draw take place?
The event will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco.
Where can I watch the live coverage of the UEFA Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network and streamed live on SonyLIV.
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