The New Champions League Format – A Success?
This season marked the inaugural display of UEFA’s new Champions League ‘League Phase’ format – which introduced a 36 team league table where each team would play 8 different oppositions one time rather than the previous group stage format where 32 teams would be placed into 8 groups of 4 and play the three other teams in their group twice, once home and once away.
Qualification into the knockout rounds is dependent on where each team places in the table amongst the other 35 competitors. The top 8 are awarded automatic qualification into the Round of 16, while clubs placed 9 to 24 are placed into a qualification playoff – where they’ll be drawn to play one of the other teams in the same bubble to play a two leg tie in which the winner will earn their way into the Round of 16.
When the new format was initially announced, reception was hesitant and disagreeable. Traditionalists were upset with the change of what was considered to be a perfectly fine system for the competition and many others were wary of the stark similarities the new format shared with the much derided European Super League that many of the elite clubs across the continent attempted launch a few years ago that was mainly stopped due to the mountains of bad press from the appall of supporters and pundits alike (as well as the legal infractions of the clubs involved).
But as the beginning of the current season neared, there was a general excitement about the new format, breaking from the monotony of the previous format was a welcome change especially among those who believed that the usual suspects of UEFA’s favourite clubs *cough Barça, Real Madrid, Man City cough* would routinely receive very favourable draws for the group stages. This time, there were to be eight games instead of the prior six and each game would see teams play different opposition. The tournament’s new composition forced a variety that the previous one didn’t allow; breathing fresh air into the what many would call an outdated system that we’d already gotten the best out of.
In practice, that excitement was vindicated. In years past the group stage of the UCL had become a formality; and by about the fourth match day, everyone understood what the end result would ultimately be and nearly all reason to keep watching was lost. Now, however, the results of every match had a rippling effect on the rest of the teams, not dissimilar to a domestic league table. The new dynamic made every week a must-watch in the context of the competition, every moment matters up to the final match day – where all 18 games were played simultaneously, creating a gripping, almost chaotic viewing experience. Each goal that flew caused teams to constantly slide up and down the table, making for an extremely close and tense conclusion.
Another positive is the marquee fixtures that are now available at the early stages of the tournament. Huge clashes between the titans of the competition were usually only occurring during the latter stages of the knockout rounds and of recent years, many of those clashes have become rematches due to the dominant runs of certain teams in Europe. For instance, Manchester City and Real Madrid have met each other three seasons in a row during the knockout rounds (and they’re about to meet again, although in the knockout playoff this time). The new league phase brings these games at a more frequent basis and with a variety of teams. The last time Arsenal played Inter in Europe was when Thierry Henry was still a gunner, and thanks to the new format, the long gaps between meetings of European giants like these will be lessened.
Additionally, there’s a sense of parity that’s been instilled into the early stages. Often the aforementioned favourites of UEFA would be continually blessed with easy groups to qualify from, the new format sees each team drawn against a diverse range opposition according to the UEFA rankings; so no team will have a ‘free pass’ of sorts into the knockout rounds nor be given a gauntlet of perennial champions to run through either. Exhibit A: Manchester City – the habitual qualifiers took all the way until the last match day to secure a spot in the playoff. And while this could be ascribed as an anomaly due to the anomaly of a bad season they’re currently having, the danger of the big teams not qualifying remains true in this new system. The quality of every team will be tested against the elites and underdogs alike, making a gradual ease into the tournament obsolete – it’s now sink or swim from the first whistle.
All that said, there are simply too many teams. A breeding ground for two problems.
What was once 32 teams that began the tournament is now 36, and with the additional four teams comes an additional two games added for each team in the group phase. Footballers (especially those at the elite clubs) were already playing far too many games per season, and while an extra two may not seem like much, the competitive and volatile nature of the league table requires the constant and full attention of clubs. During the final fixtures there’s hardly any team that can afford to take the gas off, unlike the previous setup where a handful of teams would’ve been qualified and satisfied before the end of the group stage. Intensity resides in every game. That also doesn’t consider the two game knockout playoff – more do or die scenarios that oblige full strength teams and fully focused performances from the players on the pitch.
At the risk of sounding highbrow, elitist, unwelcoming and so on, the expansion of teams has slightly, but still noticeably lowered the standard of competition throughout the league phase. For many teams the sole event of qualifying for the Champions League is a celebration. Qualification itself can completely alter the projection of a club for a substantial period of time. The funds that come their way, the platform they get to play football in front of European and worldwide audiences have marked as defining moments for clubs in the past and that will continue to remain. However, the inclusion of an additional four teams coupled with the performance of the teams who finished at the bottom of the table does beg questions as to whether the expansion is necessary. Of the 12 teams that failed to qualify for neither the Round of 16 or the knockout playoff, half of them won either only a single game of the eight or none of the eight. Now this isn’t to suggest that these teams should all be annexed from ever competing in the competition again or even that the UCL should welcome less than 32 clubs. Everyone should have the opportunity to play in the Champions League. This is more of a suggestion that the additional teams was an unneeded part of the format switch. In the prior 32 team structure, there were already teams that would finish the group stage with zero wins and maybe zero points. Adding more teams to the competition only increases that pool and doesn’t nothing to really improve the quality of the tournament.
Obviously, UEFA’s primary M.O and bottom line is to make more money; and with more clubs, comes more games and more money. So yes, to them, this new format is a raging success. The final matchday alone was probably enough to validate the change in the governing body’s eyes as viewers had their own eyes glued to their screens flicking from game to game to keep updated with every club’s scenario. Considering the commercial success of the new league phase, UEFA could begin to (probably correctly) believe that more teams added equals more commercial success and that would lead to the surefire dilution of the tournament.
Next week brings more newness as the first knockout playoffs kick off with the following fixtures:
February 11
Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain
Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
February 12
Club Brugge vs Atalanta
Monaco vs Benfica
Celtic vs Bayern München
Feyenoord vs Milan
The reverse fixtures of the ties will take place the following week starting the on 18th of February.
