Newcastle United’s return to Europe will be a different campaign than their brief Champions League stint this season. Eddie Howe hopes to end the season on a high note after a hit and miss season so far. Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers helped the Magpies stay in contention as they chase a place in the table alongside the continent’s best and brightest for the second season in a row.
Securing Champions League football between now and May appears to be a long shot, but Newcastle are still well in the hunt for a Europa League or Europa Conference League spot, which many fans would gladly take given the struggles of this season.
On Monday, UEFA confirmed the new framework for each of their three European club tournaments, which will look completely different starting next season. The European governing body has made significant adjustments to conventional competitions in order to overhaul them and, as a result, prevent any future threat of a European Super League.
For starters, the Champions League’s initial group stage will extend to 36 teams, up from 32 now. The old four-team group stage round is also no more, as all 36 teams now compete in a single giant league format. Clubs will play eight games in the league phase, with the goal of making early-season matchups less predictable.
The matchups are chosen by dividing the 36 teams into four pots depending on their UEFA coefficients. In the early stages, each club will face two teams from each pot, resulting in more exciting, big-game matchups.
After each club plays eight games, the top eight clubs progress to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off to capture one of the remaining eight slots in the round of 16. Teams that finish 25th or lower are eliminated.
The same model will be used in both the Europa League and the Conference League, allowing more clubs from throughout Europe to compete at this level beginning with the 2024/25 season.
Newcastle’s European chances for next season are already in jeopardy, but the North East club has ambitious goals for the future, including consistent qualification for these major championships. Whenever they return, the Magpies will face a considerably different situation than when they returned at the start of the 2023/24 season.
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