New Rule for Next Season’s Europa League for Villa
UEFA has confirmed it will correct an oversight in the structure of the new expanded league-phase format used across its three club competitions. Under the current system, all clubs play eight matches in the league stage. The only real sporting reward for a team’s performance came by finishing in the top eight and skipping a two-legged play-off in February, meaning two fewer fixtures and a smoother route to the latter stages.
After the play-off stage, last season, the draw was then random, including whether a team plays the second leg at home or away – rather than being merit-based. That randomness was exposed in the 2024/25 campaign.
Take Aston Villa, for example. They played their second legs at home against both Club Brugge and Paris Saint-Germain – a fair outcome since they finished higher in the league phase than both. But had they drawn Liverpool instead of PSG, or Arsenal in the semi-finals, both of whom placed higher in the league phase, they still would have hosted the second leg – an outcome that defies competitive logic. Although, we weren’t complaining being at home in the second leg, all the way to the final, if we had got there.
Arsenal had been vocal in the fact they had to play both Real Madrid and PSG at home in the first leg, despite finishing higher than both of the teams that had failed to even make the top eight in the league stage.
The change – now formally agreed in principle by UEFA’s club competitions committee – will ensure league-stage performance determines knockout seeding, including home advantage in the second leg. The Executive Committee is expected to ratify the amendment ahead of the League Phase draw for all three competitions on August 28.
MOMS had initially assumed the format would follow this logic last season, as it seemed like common sense. Thankfully, UEFA has finally come around to the same conclusion.
UTV
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