Yahoo News When Aston Villa will discover their Champions League opponents confirmed
Aston Villa now have Champions League football to look forward to next season - which as a result is set to be a busy one.
Villa players and staff discovered their fate as they gathered for their end-of-season awards, watching on as Tottenham Hotspur lost to Manchester City. It mathematically ensured Unai Emery's side could not be caught on the final weekend of the season.
The 2024/25 campaign will therefore mark the club's first involvement in UEFA's elite competition since its rebranding in 1992, and their first involvement in general in 41 years. They join current league leaders Manchester City, second-placed Arsenal and third-placed Liverpool in qualification.
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This season saw Villa take part in the Europa Conference League, but along with the sheer increase in competitiveness the Champions League will present, a new format for the competition will make sure the club are in for a gruelling test next year.
Make sure to save these key dates - and there are plenty of them - in the competition's 2024/25 schedule. Remember, Villa will enter straight into the League Phase - which replaces the traditional Group Stage - and skip the competition's qualifiers.
Champions League draws
League phase: 29 August 2024
Knockout round play-offs: 31 January 2025
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final: 21 February 2025
These draws will determine who Villa play at each stage of the competition, with their involvement on each date depending on how well they do.
League Phase
Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025
This is the first sign of the new format kicking in, with eight matches running through to late-January rather than the competition's previous six that wrapped up around mid-December and left time for a winter break.
Knockout Stages
Knockout round play-offs: 11/12 & 18/19 February 2025
Round of 16: 4/5 & 11/12 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 8/9 & 15/16 April 2025
Semi-finals: 29/30 April & 6/7 May 2025
Final: 31 May 2025
Again, the new format sees the addition of a play-off round, similar to those utilised in previous editions of the Europa League and Europa Conference League. All rounds in this stage remain as two-legged ties, apart from the final in Germany which is one match.
