Sport
The new Champions League format will take some getting used to. It is, whichever way it is viewed, more complex. The old format, which had been used for the past two decades, was easy to understand. This new format, however, requires some thought. Even Cristiano Ronaldo looked lost as he participated in the draw a few weeks ago.
Once the competition gets under way, though, the benefits of the shake up will become clearer. The league phase, which has replaced the old group phase, will rank all 36 teams in a single table and will witness more heavyweight matches between the biggest and best teams in Europe. This is what many fans wanted.
This week, for example, will see Manchester City host Inter. After that, Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain. There are matches like this scheduled all the way through this season’s league phase and so there should be more excitement and drama at the top end of the competition than in past seasons when the best teams were assured of their passage through to the last 16.
At the other end, though, is where the real drama could be created. In theory, the new Champions League format should help create more underdog stories. At a time when the sport feels increasingly weighted towards the big boys, this could be something that helps readdress the balance.
Before now, the odds were stacked against the underdogs in the Champions League. Pot Four teams faced six fixtures against teams from pots above them, making it almost impossible for them to make the knockout rounds. It was a system designed to provide the biggest clubs with a safety net.
Now, though, Pot Four teams have two fixtures against two different teams in the same pot. Two victories in these matches will give them a chance to make it out of the league phase as one of the top 24 teams. This equation has the potential to turn the Champions League on its head and that should be welcomed.
Of course, this isn’t to say UEFA has made these changes to the format to benefit the smaller clubs. In fact, quite the opposite is the case. These changes were forced through in response to the ill-fated European Super League proposal which were defeated, but made clear the desire for change at the top of the continental game.
The new format will see clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid receive more in the way of broadcast revenue and prize money. Over time, the changes to the Champions League could open up an even larger financial gap between the best and the rest. UEFA has buckled to pressure from Super League clubs in this regard.
A by-product of this, however, could be a greater number of underdogs making an impression on the Champions League. Celtic, for example, will fancy their chances of making the knockout rounds after being handed a fixture list that will see them face Slovan Bratislava, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and Young Boys. Nine points could be enough for them to progress.
Aston Villa also have a route as a Pot Four team that could give them a chance of making the playoff round at the very least with Unai Emery’s side set to take on Young Boys, Club Brugge, Bologna and Celtic. If Villa can replicate their form of last season, they will surely be a factor in the Champions League.
The true impact of the changes to the Champions League format won’t be known until the competition moves a few fixtures into the league phase. Only then will theory become reality, but there’s good reason to believe the changes will alter the landscape at the top of European club football.
