UEFA have quietly updated the Champions League regulations ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, following complaints from Arsenal and other clubs over what happened during last season’s knockout rounds.
The Champions League format was revamped in 2024/25, with the old group stage scrapped in favour of a 36-team league phase. Each club now plays eight games against different opponents, with the top eight qualifying directly for the round of 16. Clubs finishing ninth to 24th face a play-off for the right to progress.
While the new format was largely well-received, one major flaw quickly emerged: home advantage in the latter stages was decided by random draw. That meant a team finishing near the top of the league standings could still be forced to play the first leg of a quarter-final or semi-final at home – something widely regarded as a disadvantage.
Tie vs Real Madrid last season
Most managers and players agree the second leg at home provides a huge edge, giving the higher-ranked team more control over the tie.
Arsenal were among those who suffered, finishing third in the league phase but being drawn to host Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final at the Emirates. Thankfully for Arsenal, the away leg at the Bernabeu did not make much difference, with the Gunners defeating Real Madrid 1-2.
ARSENAL HAVE THEIR GOAL! ⚽
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 16, 2025
Bukayo Saka keeps his composure as he lifts the ball over Courtois 🥶
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According to the Mirror, Arsenal were one of the clubs who formally raised concerns with UEFA after that outcome – and now the governing body have acted.
The New Rule
From this season, UEFA’s regulations state:
- Teams ranked 1st to 4th after the league phase will be guaranteed to play the second leg of the quarter-finals at home.
- Teams ranked 1st and 2nd will also get the second leg at home in the semi-finals.
- If a seeded team is eliminated, their conquerors inherit the seeding status for the remainder of the draw.
In short, better-performing teams will now be rewarded with home advantage in the decisive leg of the latter rounds – closing the rule that Arsenal were dissatisfied at last season.
Champions League 2025/26 Key Dates
Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025
Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025
Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025
Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025
Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025
Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025
Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026
Matchday 8: 28 January 2026
Knockout phases
Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
Arsenal’s Position Ahead of Today’s Draw
Attention now turns to this afternoon’s Champions League draw, where Arsenal will learn their eight opponents for the league phase.
The Gunners are placed in Pot 2 alongside the likes of Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
This means they could be paired with heavyweights from Pot 1 such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich or Barcelona.
For Mikel Arteta, the priority will be ensuring Arsenal make the most of the new system, secure a top-four seeding, and benefit from the improved knockout structure that they themselves helped push through.
