Liverpool is assured of a place in next season's Champions League, with Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea last night guaranteeing a top-four finish. Things will be very different on the Reds' return to Europe's top table.

Having had to make do with a spot in the Europa League this season, Liverpool will be back in the Champions League next season, albeit without Jürgen Klopp in charge as he prepares for his final three games. Arne Slot looks set to lead the Reds' quest for a seventh European crown, although he'll face a much-changed format.

The number of teams competing is set to rise from 32 to 36, where there will be eight group stage games, as all of the teams battle in one big league table. That change has been in the works for some time, but UEFA has now ironed out the details of the draw.

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To decide the fixtures in the group stage, there will be four pots of nine teams. Sides will be drawn against two opponents from each of the pots.

It will be impossible for clubs from the same country to meet each other until after the group stages, with UEFA also changing how it draws the fixtures. The governing body has opted against a manual ball-picking method, which is currently in place, due to the estimated time it would take being around three to four hours.

Instead, a computer will complete the draws for each team and a tennis-style seeding will also be in place for the knockout stages. Clubs that finish in the top eight of the league will automatically qualify for the round-of-16-stage, whereas those sides who finish from ninth to 24th will compete in two-legged playoff fixtures to progress. Teams from 25th to 36th will be eliminated.

UEFA is said to be confident that the process will be fair and it will also be audited by accountancy firm Ernst & Young. Similar changes are also expected to occur in both the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Liverpool.com says: The changes will have a big impact on most teams but most notably, Liverpool should be concerned about the inflated fixture list following the rise from 32 to 36 teams. As shown this season, the jam-packed amount of games can have a severe impact on the squad, and the Reds may seriously need to consider adding more depth this summer.

As for the merits of the new format, only time will tell. But there does seem to be something inherently flawed about using a league table when teams are not all playing one another — unalike results are being compared as though they were alike.

An original version of this article was first published on March 13. It has since been updated.