We already know the new format of the Champions League for the 2023/2024 season. Ceferin presented it yesterday and we have seen how the top continental competition at club level has undergone major changes compared to the current format, mainly the conversion of a tournament with a group stage to a group of 36 clubs.
This decision is clearly marked by the attempt to create a European Super League that several clubs, led by Real Madrid, tried to put together a year ago. With the new format, it tries to resemble the one proposed by the Super League, since it gives the possibility of having several interesting and different confrontations, not only between those who made up the group until now.
In addition, this new format solves another of the issues that the Super League wanted to take advantage of, and that is the possibility that great teams that do not obtain a place in the Champions League for the following season, will be invited. This has been done by awarding one more place for the Champions League, to the two national competitions with the best UEFA ranking. In this way, big teams like Manchester United or Villarreal, which this year will be left out of the European tournament, could opt for a place.
The truth is that it is a pity that each time the Champions League has become a tournament that rewards only the big leagues, and avoids surprises and curious confrontations, since we remember that Europe is more than England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France. But on the other hand, the Super League was an alternative that completely threatened the meritocracy in football, so a priori it seems like a solution.
UEFA must now also consider other issues such as Fair Play, as there are teams with astronomical budgets with which the rest of the teams, even the best teams, cannot compete. This new format must try to encourage a redistribution of income, and rewarding the humble, so that they can compete against the super squads of teams like PSG or Manchester City.
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