We’re nonetheless solely two gameweeks into the brand new 36-team, one-group UEFA Champions League format, but it surely has already induced fairly a stir.
Change will be tough to course of for soccer followers, particularly to longstanding mechanisms within the sport, and this newest one has been seismic. In reality, it has ripped up the very material of the competitors. Whether or not you want or hate the modifications at this early stage, everybody can agree that it nonetheless feels a bit bizarre. However the important thing query is whether or not the pushback we’re seeing from followers is a product of typical, preliminary resistance that can ultimately soften, or one thing deeper.
Right here, we’ll take every of the key criticisms that we have seen levelled on the new event format (which you’ll be able to see defined right here) and attempt to assess whether or not they’re actually legitimate, or only a sign of unfamiliarity that can ultimately turn into accepted as time wears on.
1. “It is uncompetitive.”
There have been some unbelievable video games throughout the primary two gameweeks. To namecheck a handful of them: Aston Villa and Lille shocked Bayern Munich and Actual Madrid, respectively; 10-man Juventus roared again to beat RB Leipzig 3-2; and Arsenal dispatched Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 with unerring confidence.
There have been additionally some outright drubbings. Dinamo Zagreb had been thrashed 9-2 by Bayern; Slovan Bratislava misplaced 5-1 to Celtic, then adopted it up with a 4-0 loss to Manchester Metropolis; Celtic went on to lose 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund; whereas Swiss minnows Younger Boys have misplaced 3-0 to Villa and 5-0 to Barcelona.
For some groups, it has been a brutal begin. Within the first 36 video games, there have been 9 wins by a margin of 4+ targets (and there have been eight within the first 27 video games), which dwarves the numbers we have seen within the final 5 editions of the Champions League throughout the primary two matchdays (two, 4, 4, 5, three). This has led to ideas that the brand new format has turn into much less aggressive, however there’s a few issues value taking into account right here.
First, two gameweeks is a really small pattern dimension. You may get hints from them, however not often is it advisable to attract conclusions — anybody who works with information would name you mad for doing so. Second, the groups we have namechecked on the mistaken finish of those scorelines are not any strangers to this kind of factor.
Take Croatian aspect Dinamo Zagreb. They completed final of their group in 2022-23, and final in 2019-20. They certified for the 2016-17 version and did not rating a single aim, whereas conceding 15 to Lyon, Juventus and Sevilla. The 12 months earlier than that, they beat Arsenal 2-1, however misplaced 3-0, 2-0, 5-0, 1-0 and 2-1 within the different video games.
Younger Boys have additionally perfected the artwork of ending backside of a Champions League group, doing so the final two instances they certified in 2021-22 and 2018-19. Whereas Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda, who had been overwhelmed 10-2 over two video games towards PSG in 2018-19, misplaced their group video games by an combination rating of 9-0 to Bayern and Tottenham in 2019-20. Even Celtic, an iconic European identify, completed backside of their group the final 3 times they’ve certified earlier than this season, twice conceding 15 instances throughout their six video games and dropping 9-0 on combination in each video games towards Barcelona.
All of that is to indicate, within the context of the dimensions of European soccer, that the great groups are nonetheless good, and the dangerous groups are nonetheless dangerous. And dangerous groups have at all times been current within the Champions League.
Sure, scorelines have flared up sooner than regular this season, and it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if that is merely a small pattern dimension or indicative of the actual fact the event has grown from 32 to 36 groups this 12 months, widening the depth of expertise from high to backside. However within the entirety of the group stage in 2022-23, there have been 16 thrashings by 4+ targets, and 14 the 12 months earlier than that, — so we’ll must see if the development continues.
As with all dataset, there have additionally been some anomalies. Younger Boys, who’re thirty sixth within the UCL desk with a -8 aim distinction, received the Swiss Tremendous League in 2024 and beat Galatasaray over two legs in qualifying, however are bizarrely backside of their home league this 12 months with simply six factors from 9 video games. So you’ll anticipate their kind to show round in some unspecified time in the future. In the meantime, included within the record of 9 4+ successful margins to this point is Benfica’s 4-0 destruction of Spain’s third-best crew Atlético Madrid. No one would have predicted that consequence earlier than the sport. So this could be the largest clue of all that we might be smart to attend and see what unfolds earlier than speeding to judgement.
VERDICT: Wait and see
2:44
Why the ultimate league section match ought to matter to most groups within the UCL
Dale Johnson explains why groups can be motivated to play within the remaining league section match within the Champions League.
2. “Losses do not matter.”
Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Actual Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atlético Madrid have all misplaced certainly one of their opening two video games. In the meantime, AC Milan and RB Leipzig have misplaced each of their video games to this point and are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Crvena Zvezda within the backside third.
That is dangerous. But the response from followers hasn’t been, which suggests many aren’t satisfied the losses are that pricey at this stage. Given the elevated variety of video games and early really feel to the desk, no single consequence feels terminal proper now. However fortuitously, video video games can provide us a reference level of what is going to be required to make the highest eight automated spots.
“Soccer Supervisor” baked the brand new Champions League format into their sport two years in the past, giving us hundreds of simulations to attract upon, and it confirmed that groups are extremely more likely to require a minimal of 15 factors. There’s an opportunity that determine may even creep to 16 or 17, too. So if we take 16 as the center goal, meaning it’s essential tick alongside at a mean of two factors per sport to make it.
Now rethink the truth that Bayern have already misplaced to a Pot 4 aspect (Villa), and face Barcelona, Benfica and PSG within the months to come back. Add to that the actual fact Actual Madrid have misplaced to a Pot 3 aspect (Lille) and have Dortmund, AC Milan, Liverpool and Atalanta on the horizon. Which means there may be already little or no margin for error for these two titans, as they’ve already dropped three factors and are nonetheless because of play two Pot 1 fixtures and two Pot 2 fixtures.
Contemplate the factors goal, the fixture record and the bottom already misplaced … and these early losses tackle a special complexion.
For Europe’s established juggernauts, the outdated Champions League group stage was usually about attending to 10 factors after which assessing what was wanted to complete high and safe a (theoretically) simpler knockout draw. Now, it is a conflict of attrition towards 10+ foes; if you cannot churn out the wins now, you may pay for it in February.
VERDICT: Unfair
3. “It is a goals-scored competitors.”
There isn’t any escaping {that a} single 36-team desk seems to be weird. Nonetheless, splitting it horizontally into 4 sections helps massively on the subject of outlining the completely different qualification zones and the place groups stand.
However one curious grievance from followers is the accusation that the Champions League has become a contest that rewards the variety of targets scored. That is doubtless as a result of the highest seven within the desk are all on six factors and are separated by aim distinction and targets scored proper now.
That is clearly one other quirk of the actual fact we’re solely two gameweeks into the marketing campaign; it’s extremely unlikely that even one crew wins all eight video games — not to mention seven of them.
Within the outdated format, with eight completely different teams of 4, no-one would have batted an eyelid if seven groups received their opening two fixtures as a result of they weren’t being straight in contrast collectively. As ever, factors gained would be the actual separator, with aim distinction kicking in to divide a handful of golf equipment if wanted.
It is also value highlighting that an incentive to attain as many targets as potential is definitely good for the sport. Followers love seeing targets and, as illustrated earlier, we’re seeing lots proper now.
Whereas the desk might not make nice studying for these whose golf equipment discover themselves in a tough place, neutrals needs to be inspired by the truth that three of the seven excellent groups (Brest, Villa, Bayer Leverkusen) weren’t even within the Champions League final season. It is contemporary, it is completely different, and it piles strain on those that haven’t began properly.
VERDICT: Unfair
1:04
Is Arsenal’s win over PSG a press release of intent within the Champions League?
ESPN FC’s Stewart Robson breaks down Arsenal’s 2-0 win over PSG on the Emirates Stadium.
4. “There are too many video games.”
Probably the most disappointing facet of this new format for some followers is the way it has added extra video games to an already stacked calendar.
There are actually eight matches as an alternative of six within the group stage, and any crew inserting ninth to twenty fourth should play twice extra in a playoff to achieve the Spherical of 16. In the end, these groups may have performed 10 video games to get there — whereas within the outdated format, it might have been simply six. And, within the occasion a playoff crew go on to win the Champions League, they’re going to have performed 17 video games in whole — which might have been simply 13 final 12 months.
Moreover, each crew will play twice through the switch window in January. And that’s simply bizarre.
It is lots. And it comes at a time the place some gamers have overtly spoken about the opportunity of happening strike as a result of variety of video games. Certainly, Manchester Metropolis’s Rodri and Actual Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have confirmed that the gamers’ union, FIFPRO, have filed a authorized declare towards FIFA on this matter.
Maybe the true driving drive for this was the disclosing of the brand new 32-team FIFA Membership World Cup, set to happen in summer season 2025, alongside rules designed to cease golf equipment leaving their greatest gamers at dwelling. However UEFA sneaking additional video games into the brand new Champions League format may have been an element too.
This one is just about indefensible.
VERDICT: Truthful
2:15
What’s going to the brand new UEFA Champions League format appear to be?
Dale Johnson explains how the brand new UEFA Champions League format will search for the 2024-25 season.
5. “Taking part in eight completely different opponents is an excessive amount of.”
The outdated group-stage format gave groups simply three opponents to play twice, dwelling and away. Now it is eight opponents they usually’re all completely different; there isn’t any return fixture to contemplate, a for much longer record of fixtures to recollect, and extra of a carbon footprint concerned in attending to all of them.
The optimistic is that it provides nice selection to the fixture record. If UEFA’s aim was to take away early components of repetition in video games and create a extra overarching continental really feel to groups’ experiences within the event, they’ve actually hit that transient.
The adverse is that it leaves followers unable to benchmark their crew’s potential progress to the knockout levels early on, as it is very tough for anybody to determine who they’re speculated to be competing with within the desk. There’s additionally one thing odd a couple of league of groups whose factors tallies compete towards one another, however who do not all play towards one another. Maybe some followers additionally miss the “grudge match” factor of a return fixture in a gaggle too, which is without end gone now.
VERDICT: Wait and see
6. “The draw was horrible.”
For individuals who had been sceptical of the brand new format, watching an abomination of a draw course of will not have helped one bit. Clearly, the brand new format is extra technical to attract out and much much less suited to UEFA’s conventional methodology of broadcasting.
However what we witnessed was a multitude that was so powerful to comply with, even Cristiano Ronaldo constantly slamming an enormous button over and over could not put it aside.
UEFA cannot conduct the draw privately and relay the outcomes later, as there would inevitably be accusations of fixing, however they’ve a 12 months to determine a special method to make the draw broadcastable. The primary effort was surprising.
VERDICT: Truthful
