Childhood vaccination rates begin to recover post-pandemic - but not everywhere, U.N. says
By Jennifer Rigby LONDON Efforts to vaccinate children worldwide against deadly diseases such as measles and diptheria began
2023-07-18 09:32
What are Uefa’s new Champions League changes?
Uefa’s executive committee confirmed last year the most significant changes to the Champions League in a generation. Days before the failed European Super League plot was launched back in 2021, Uefa announced reforms to the Champions League had received unanimous backing from the European Club Association and Uefa Club Competitions Committee. It confirmed plans to change the format of European football’s top club competition from 2024, giving the tournament its first new look in 20 years. The proposals were not met with the same level of backlash that greeted the Super League plans but have still been criticised by leading fans’ groups, including the Football Supporters’ Association [FSA]. “We are united in opposition to proposals to reform the Champions League that are a back door attempt at a return to the discredited idea of a European Super League,” read a statement from the FSA’s Premier League Network. But what are the changes, and how will the Champions League look from 2024 now the plans have been voted through? Here’s everything you need to know. What would the new Champions League look like? Since 2003, the Champions League has been a 32-team competition with a single group-stage phase followed by a knockout phase. The 32 teams, seeded according to league position and Uefa coefficient, have been split into eight groups of four, with the top two teams progressing to the last-16 after six rounds of matches in a round-robin format with both home and away matches. That has then been followed by three two-legged rounds, the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with matches played home and away, before the final at a neutral venue. From 2024, the group stage will look completely different. There are two main changes: four additional teams will be added to take the number of clubs up to 36, and a single league format will be used. The league phase will determine an overall ranking - from 1st to 36th, with three points for a win and one for a draw as usual. The top eight teams will advance to the last 16, with the 16 teams finishing between ninth and 24th entering the play-off round over two legs, with a victory securing passage to the last 16. Teams who finish 25th or below will be eliminated and will not drop down to the Europa League. How will the league format work? Uefa and the European Club Association reached agreement on this last year. The number of fixtures is set to increase from the current six to eight, after Uefa compromised on its original plan of ten. Fixtures would be determined using a ‘Swiss-style’ seeding system. All eight matches will be played against different teams, with four at home and four away, and organised by seeding. All the results would contribute to the overall league ranking. Will it change the knockout phase? Apart from the play-off round, the knockout phase is set to be the same from the last 16 stage. There have been reports, however, that Uefa will discuss the idea of scrapping two-legged semi-finals in favour of a ‘final four’ format played across a week in one European city. Will some clubs be able to qualify based on past performance? No, this has been scrapped by Uefa, after the plans were met with criticism and would have opened the door to there being a safety net for the biggest clubs and widening the inequalities in European football to an even greater extent. Instead, Uefa will award two extra places to the countries who collectively performed best in Europe in the previous season. If applied to next season that would mean England gaining an extra spot, along with the Netherlands. This would mean the Premier League would have five Champions League teams for that season. Unlike the coefficient plans, it would mean there would be no barrier to certain clubs receiving an additional spot. How will the other two extra Champions League spots be allocated? According to Uefa, the other two spots will be allocated according to this criteria: Slot one: One of the additional places will go to the club ranked third in the championship of the association in fifth position in the Uefa national association ranking. Slot two: Another will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the so-called ‘Champions Path’. Read More Uefa insist Champions League final will be held in Istanbul despite Turkey election unrest UEFA in talks over salary cap and ‘everyone agrees’ – Aleksander Ceferin Ceferin would not rule out a Champions League final being held in United States Bruno Fernandes warns Alejandro Garnacho he cannot relax at Manchester United Brighton win puts Manchester City on title brink – 5 things from Premier League Sam Allardyce refuses to criticise Leeds’ Patrick Bamford despite penalty miss
1970-01-01 08:00
IRS reduces tax return backlog by 80% and is doing better job answering the phone
The IRS has processed tens of millions of tax returns faster this year compared with years past, and getting through to customer service on the phone is slowly improving
2023-06-21 22:03
European Workers Not as Diligent as Koreans, LG Energy Says
South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd. is struggling to ramp up production at its plant in
2023-09-11 11:26
Best Early Black Friday 2023 Laptop Deals
Black Friday laptop deals are live now even though we're still a ways out from
2023-11-10 01:41
At Barcelona rally, Spanish right lambasts amnesty plan
Right-wing officials in Spain joined a mass rally in Barcelona on Sunday to protest plans to grant Catalan separatists an amnesty in exchange for their political...
2023-10-08 19:56
Deion Sanders and No. 19 Colorado facing their first big test against No. 10 Oregon and Bo Nix
Tenth-ranked Oregon isn’t all caught up in the hype over the No. 19 Buffaloes and Saturday’s showdown in Eugene
2023-09-22 00:59
Packers' Bakhtiari won't play again this season as he prepares for 5th knee surgery
Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari’s season is over
2023-10-07 06:40
What is Al Roker's new exciting project? 'Today' host reveals reason behind his continued absence from NBC show: 'Will keep you posted'
Al Roker took to Instagram to inform his followers about his upcoming trip to Detroit for a special speaking engagement at Ted Talk Connections
2023-07-14 12:16
US senator tells AFP Gaza civilian toll 'too high'
A US senator said Wednesday that it is "vital" for Israel to carry out a more targeted offensive in the Gaza...
2023-11-09 08:04
Apple will be able to update iPhones while they're still in the box, report claims
In the future, Apple may be able to update its iPhones while they're still in
2023-10-16 15:57
Astros: 5 players who won't be on the roster by August 1
The Astros are at risk to not win the AL West this year. They're going to need to part ways with these players if they want to take it from the Rangers.The Houston Astros have seen a bit of a regression from their 2022 World Series team to their second place in the AL West 2023 team. The As...
2023-07-04 20:00
You Might Like...
'It's not that big of a deal': Fans react as Dwayne Johnson addresses Maui wildfire fundraiser backlash
Republicans scuffle in tight contest for new US House speaker
Vodafone, Hutchison unveil UK mobile merger
US FDA ends ban on blood donations from gay men
The chance of Trump winning another term is very real
Tens of thousands flee south in bombarded Gaza as Israeli troops gather near border
QuSecure’s QuEverywhere Named 2023 Top New Product of the Year in Quantum Cybersecurity
Wingman of your dreams: Jensen Ackles introduced Jeffrey Dean Morgan to the love of his life, and then married them!
