UEFA are looking to scrap two-legged semi-finals in the Champions League, as they ponder further restructuring of the tournament’s format, the UK Times reports.
There are already plans in place to change the opening stage of the tournament. The current eight groups of four will be replaced by two leagues of 18 from 2024 onwards.
However, those may not be the only new additions for the 2024/2025 season, as UEFA are considering implementing their “week of football” proposals.
If enforced, those proposals would see the current two-legged semi-finals replaced with single leg ties and they will be played in one city in a five-day window that also includes the final.
Two-legged semi-finals have been a part of the competition’s format since 1955, but the new plans are said to already have the support of the European Club Association (ECA).
ECA chairman and Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has spoken positively about the proposals, although some senior UEFA figures are thought to be less keen on such a significant restructuring of the format.
