This format, known as the Swiss model, has now been established for a couple of years, so can’t really be called ‘new’ any more.
Each of the 36 teams plays eight matches — four at home and four away — against two teams from each of the four pots (one: highest-ranked, four: lowest-ranked), which are sorted by club coefficient ranking (broadly, how well each team has done in Europe over the last five years).
Sides cannot face a side from the same country as themselves during the league phase meaning, for example, Manchester United cannot play Chelsea at this stage.
Moreover, teams cannot play more than two matches against teams from another country (so Arsenal could not play German sides Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig).
