League phase
The league phase is the main stage of the modern competition. All the clubs sit in one table and play eight matches against eight different opponents, and their positions decide who advances and who is eliminated.
Why it matters
It matters because it replaced the group stage. The league phase gives every club a comparable set of fixtures, and the single table that follows ranks the whole field together rather than across separate groups.
Where it is used
It is used at the start of the competition. The results of the eight matches decide who goes straight to the last sixteen, who drops into the playoff and who is eliminated, so the phase sets up the entire knockout.
How to read it
Read the league phase as a shared test. Every club faces a similar spread of opponents, so the table compares the whole field, and a place in it is earned over eight matches rather than decided by a single tie.
What it means
the single table in which all clubs play eight matches each
League phase is one of the working terms of the competition. This entry explains it as a mechanism that holds true from season to season, so it can be read on its own or alongside the other entries in the glossary of the tournament.
- All clubs in one table.
- Eight matches for every club.
- Played against eight different opponents.
- Positions decide the knockout stage.
- The top eight go straight through.
- A shared test that ranks the whole field.