The brand new Champions League format has not proved universally common. The truth is, amongst followers at the very least, the overwhelming consensus appears to be it is a horrible thought – a financially motivated transfer by UEFA; a again door to a European Tremendous League, even.
From this season, there is no such thing as a extra Champions League group stage. As a substitute, UEFA have adopted the ‘Swiss mannequin’, an ostensibly difficult first part of the competitors by which all 36 groups (yep, 4 greater than earlier than) kind one huge league desk.
It will take some getting used to, for positive – it is the most important shake-up to Europe’s prime membership competitors for the reason that scrapping of the outdated second group stage in 2003 – and never all change is nice. This one is, although…
WATCH | How The New Champions League Format Truly WorksÂ
Elevated jeopardy
Underneath the outdated first-round format of eight teams of 4 groups, lifeless rubbers had been one thing of an inevitability. On the sixth and remaining matchday of the 2023/24 group stage, for instance, six of the eight teams noticed at the very least one sport between two groups whose fates – whether or not development to the final 16, a drop into the Europa League knockout spherical play-offs or outright elimination – had been already determined, whereas a variety of different fixtures featured one aspect with successfully nothing to play for.
With the introduction of the brand new format, that should not occur – to not such a level, anyway. There are not any second possibilities within the Champions League: when you’re out of the competitors, that is it – no Europa League reprieve.
Granted, ‘rewarding’ third-place group finishers with a spot in UEFA’s second-tier competitors (or, lately, a spot within the play-offs for the final 16 of that competitors) saved issues attention-grabbing for longer – very like the play-offs do within the EFL, for instance – however one might argue that giving groups such a security internet in a brief format (six video games) diluted the jeopardy that brings a lot pleasure and rigidity to match soccer. The brand new format – whereby the highest eight sides advance mechanically to the final 16, the following 16 go right into a play-off spherical and solely the remaining eight exit – ought to extend that all-important jeopardy.
One other plus of the rejigged Champions League format is that each crew – even these seeded highest – is assured at the very least two ‘assessments’ within the first part of the competitors. Both sides has been drawn towards two opponents from every of the 4 pots, with Pot 1 containing holders Actual Madrid, Manchester Metropolis, Bayern Munich, PSG, Liverpool, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Barcelona.
Thursday’s draw (which was carried out by laptop somewhat than individuals (after UEFA discovered that it will take so long as 4 hours to do it the old school approach) threw up some cracking fixtures for all groups concerned. Actual’s eight league part fixtures embrace clashes with Dortmund, who they beat in final season’s remaining, Liverpool, Milan and 2023/24 Europa League winners Atalanta; Metropolis will tackle Inter, PSG and Juventus; and Brest face Actual, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen on their European debut.
As a substitute of taking part in three opponents twice every (as soon as at residence and as soon as on the street) each aspect within the Champions League now contests eight first-round matches (4 residence, 4 away) towards eight totally different groups, giving the early competitors one thing of an expanded World Cup (or, possibly extra appropriately given the area, Euros) really feel. Selection is the spice of life and all that.
For the larger good
The brand new Champions League format would not simply affect the UCL itself; it additionally has an impact on the Europa League and Convention League. And it looks like a constructive impact.
With groups who do not attain the Champions League knockout stage not dropping into the Europa League, the winner of the latter must have been within the competitors from the outset. It all the time felt a contact unfair that an ostensibly stronger aspect might enter the Europa League late and go on to raise the trophy – as occurred on 9 events, most lately with Sevilla in 2023 – however that is not a risk.
Precisely the identical change applies to the Convention League from 2024/25, too. Europe’s three main membership competitions are absolutely distinct for the primary time for the reason that late 90s (whenever you had the Cup Winners’ Cup somewhat than the Convention League – the latter being a really new match, after all) – and they need to all be higher off due to it.
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