The new Champions League format is good, actually. That’s a bigger surprise than Brest storming the competition.
More big match-ups. Added peril. More fixtures. Better fixtures. What’s not to love? Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City at this stage of the competition used to be a clash simply to decide first and second in the competition ahead of two minnows. Now, it’s a fight to stay in the tournament itself.
It’s bloody brilliant: we take back everything we ever said about it. Even though we did predict it would improve European football. But we don’t expect it to stay like this.
The new Champions League format wasn’t designed to be like this
Because for all UEFA’s posturing about how this new league phase would create new drama and give smaller teams a chance, they didn’t actually expect it to. The league phase wasn’t brought in for this reason.
It was introduced to give two more Champions League spots to big clubs. It was introduced to give the eight biggest teams in the world an easy bye into the next round. It was introduced to create two more fixtures for the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City to enjoy TV rights for: not another four, with a play-off to be fought next year ahead of the knockout rounds.
No one anticipated that Brest, Lille and Aston Villa would be this good. We all thought that they would be the ones scrapping in midtable, while the elite cleaned up. Only Liverpool have a 100 per cent record.
This can only mean one of two things, as UEFA face major pressure over this new format. Either they change it to benefit the bigger clubs, or they walk.
Is that a pessimistic view of what’s been a fantastic addition to a tired tournament? Of course. And yes, it’s not often that both Real and City look this bad – but consider that Bayern Munich are 10th. Milan 12th, despite beating Real. Juventus 14th. Real are 20th, City 22nd, with both in serious danger of an exit already. PSG sit outside the play-off spots altogether, having won just twice.
The threat of the Super League looms over this sport like a comic villain and it doesn’t need any more ammunition. While it’s good for football that smaller clubs might be in with a chance of a deep run in this competition, it’s not good for TV figures.
The new format might not be a one-season wonder but reforms will surely be on the cards, should things continue. The Champions League has been glorious to watch this season, with some of the 2021 Super League’s breakaway teams cut down to size.
That’s not what the powerful want, though. Brace yourselves.
2024-12-12 19:00:00