Article by Romeo Ene – Published Friday, March 20, 2026, 3:31 p.m. / Updated Friday, March 20, 2026, 3:37 p.m.
Several top European clubs have asked UEFA to change the Champions League rules so that teams from the same country can play each other from the group stage, according to sportal.blic.rs.
The discontent stems from the way the current system favors Premier League clubs and complicates the path of teams in other leagues.
In the format introduced from the 2024/25 season, teams from the same league cannot fall to each other in the first phase of the competition. Practically, in the eight matches in the group, there are no internal duels. The rule disappears only from the elimination stages.
This season, the situation was complicated by the presence of three teams from England in the first value urn. That threw the draw upside down and put pressure on the distribution of opponents, to the disadvantage of non-England clubs.
Tougher draw for Europe's greats
Several top teams had a more difficult route from the start. Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter, PSG and Real Madrid each got to play two games against Premier League opponents.
PSG and Barcelona fell with Newcastle, a team from the fourth urn. In a scenario without this rule, opponents could be much more accessible, such as Kairat Almaty or Pafos.
Some of the clubs request the removal of this rule from the group stage. That would mean matches between teams in the same championship, including the Premier League. At the same time, it would open the door for top duels right from the start, for example Real Madrid – Barcelona.
Of the 6 Premier League teams present this season, 5 finished in the top 8, and Newcastle reached the play-offs. Not all clubs agree with this direction.
Recent examples already exist. PSG played Monaco in the play-off for the “eighties”, and in the 2024/25 season they met Brest in the same phase. With the modified rules, such duels would no longer be possible.
The context will not change anytime soon. The Premier League will most likely have at least 5 teams next season as well and the issue of the draw will arise again.
