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As the revamped Champions League format enters its third season, UEFA has introduced a new regulation to prevent identical league phase matchups from occurring in three consecutive years.
This lesser-known addition works alongside the long-standing rule prohibiting clubs from the same country from meeting, further narrowing the field of possible opponents ahead of the upcoming draw.
The change is likely to be welcomed; nothing kills excitement quite like seeing the same fixtures repeated. Furthermore, when top clubs meet too frequently, the appeal of a marquee encounter fades. While FIFA seems unable to grasp this concept when it comes to World Cups, rarity holds real value. That said, there are some notable exceptions to this rule.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Madrid Involved in Forbidden Fixtures
No fixture that appeared in the league phase during both of the previous two seasons can be drawn in today's ceremony. Only three matchups have been repeated since the format was overhauled, and neither Juventus nor Benfica have made it into this year's competition.
That means a potential meeting between Inter and Arsenal at San Siro is in the same category as a Liverpool versus Real Madrid clash at Anfield: prohibited. That's welcome news for Madrid, who have departed Merseyside without a goal in their last two visits, though José Mourinho could still face the Reds at the Bernabéu.
Potential Pot 1 Teams Limited
Team | Venue | Potential Pot 1 Opponents |
|---|---|---|
Inter | Home | PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Man City, Barcelona, Atlético |
Liverpool | Home | PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, Inter, Barcelona, Atlético |
Arsenal | Away | PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético |
Real Madrid | Away | PSG, Bayern, Inter, Man City, Arsenal |
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Limitations to New Rules
This is where the rule's effectiveness begins to unravel. Inter may be unable to host Arsenal in the league phase, but they would still be permitted to travel to the Emirates Stadium. Only the specific home-and-away combination is restricted.
Notably, there is also no provision covering repeated matchups from the knockout rounds. This means Real Madrid could still be drawn against Manchester City in the league phase, despite their relentless history of facing one another. Pep Guardiola described it as "a little bit weird" when the two sides were paired together again last season, sighing, "A Madrid draw is a Madrid draw. What can we do?" Nothing.
City have indeed faced Los Blancos in each of the last five Champions League campaigns. However, only one of those—last season's—took place in the league phase. The remaining encounters were tense knockout ties, which UEFA has no issue seeing repeated.
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