Changes in the UYCL too. We start on Thursday against Monaco.
Like the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League, the Youth League is also experiencing a change in format starting this season. UEFA also eliminates the groups of four teams following the same ones that the league draw had provided, so that each club will no longer face three rivals both at home and away. Now they will face the first six opponents that the professional Champions League calendar has in store. In this way, for example, the 36 teams on the so-called Champions League route will play three home games and three away games against six different teams. For example, Barça's Juvenil A, coached by Juliano Belletti, will avoid visiting the always difficult Benfica and hosting Atalanta. They will debut this Thursday (3 p.m./Vamos de Movistar + and UEFA.tv) at Monaco's home and then they will face Young Boys (home), Bayern (home), Estrella Roja (away), Brest (home) and Borussia Dortmund (out).
The 36 teams will score for a single classification. The first 22 will go to the 1/16 final, a single match like the rest of the qualifying rounds. Those classified from 1st to 6th place in the Champions League route will face those who finish between 17th and 22nd place. Those who finish from 7th to 16th place will face the ten clubs classified by the national champions route that do not have representation in the Senior Champions League. From 23rd to 36th they will be eliminated.
