The new UEFA Champions League (UCL) season begins on Thursday at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, with the draw taking place in a completely new format.

FOLLOW THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW HERE: UEFA Champions League 2024-25 draw LIVE

This also marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Champions League. There will be more teams, a different format and more competition. The tournament starts on September 17.

The draw is the first milestone of every Champions League season; a ritual, a date circled in the calendar that cannot be missed.

There is something reassuringly old-fashioned about releasing balls into a bowl, the whoosh as they are shaken, and then the names being held up to the camera for all to see after they have been selected. That will still happen to some extent, but the computer will take over to ensure that the draw is done impartially, without any doubt.

WHAT IS THE NEW FORMAT FOR THE 2024-25 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

UEFA’s football division has invested thousands of hours in devising the new format, using complex mathematical models and algorithms to further develop and refine the format.

The Champions League group stage has been replaced by a single competition with 36 teams – four more than the current 32 – with each team now playing eight matches (previously six) against eight different opponents to determine who qualifies for the knockout stage.

Representative image: The new format is also intended to open up the competition and give more teams a chance to qualify for the knockout stages. | Photo credit: UEFA via Getty Images

A mathematician was tasked with simulating the new format over three seasons. Using models, he had to determine whether the results were better in terms of the number of dead matches, goal difference, average goal difference per match, winning margins, and so on.

RELATED: Cristiano Ronaldo to receive special prize during UEFA Champions League draw

After the league stage, the top eight teams qualify for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 16th play two knockout matches (home and away) to determine the eight teams that will advance to the quarter-finals.

Each knockout stage from this stage up to the final consists of home and away matches, while the final is a one-leg tie.

WHICH TEAMS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW?

• Spain: Girona, Barcelona, ​​Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid

• England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool

• Germany: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart

• Italy: AC Milan, Atalanta, Internazionale Bologna, Juventus

• France: Paris St-Germain, Brest, Lille, Monaco

• Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord

• Portugal: Sporting Lisbon, Benfica

• Scotland: Celtic

• Belgium: Club Brugge

• Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk

• Austria: Salzburg, Sturm Graz

• Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb

• Switzerland: Young boys

• Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava

• Czech Republic: Sparta Prague

• Serbia: Red Star Belgrade

WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE DRAWING?

The team is divided into four pots based on how they are seeded. Each team plays against two opponents, one home and one away, from each pot.

After a team is selected from a pot, UEFA’s schedule determines which of their eight opponents they will play at home or away. This means more matches with the top teams. For example, Manchester City will play Barcelona, ​​​​Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

The schedule prohibits teams from playing against domestic rivals and each team is only allowed to play against two clubs from the same country.

According to UEFAThe computer technology anticipates events and ensures that teams are not pitted against opponents they cannot play later in the game.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE 2024-25 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW?

The draw for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo, on 29 August at 18:00 local time.

Below you can see the time in India, US and UK:

• India – 9:30 pm

• United Kingdom – 5pm

• US – Eastern Time – 12:00 noon

• US – Central Time – 11:00 AM

• US – Mountain Time – 10:00 am

• US – Pacific Time – 09:00 AM

Representative image: A mathematician was tasked with simulating the new format over three seasons, using models to see whether the outcomes were better in terms of number of dead matches, average goal difference, average goal difference per match, winning margins and so on. | Photo credit: UEFA via Getty Images

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024-25 LIVE STREAMING INFORMATION

Where can you watch the Champions League draw in India?

The UEFA Champions League draw can be watched on the Sony Sports Network on TV and streamed live on Sony LIV. Sony Sports will also broadcast all Champions League matches this season, on TV and on its OTT platform.

Where can you watch the Champions League draw in the US?

The UEFA Champions League draw is not available for broadcast in the United States. However, it can be streamed live on Paramount+. CBS Broadcasting, which owns Paramount+, will broadcast all UCL matches in the US.

Where can you watch the Champions League draw in the UK?

The UEFA Champions League draw can be watched on BBC Sport with expert analysis, while it can be streamed live on BBC iPlayer. There will also be a highlights show on BBC One later.

How can you watch the Champions League tie anywhere else?

In territories where there is no broadcast partner for the UEFA Champions League draw, the draw will be streamed live on the UEFA website.