New Champions League format is European Super League by stealth – Great spot | OneFootball

A European Super League by stealth, this new Champions League format.

A great spot by this journalist.

This new ‘exciting’ 36 club Swiss League set-up.

Following the eighth and final set of Champions League group games, this journo summing it up perfectly.

James Ducker (Northern Football Correspondent for The Telegraph) – 31 January 2025:

“UEFA really have pulled the wool over fans’ eyes if they think that new Champions League format produces great tension and drama.

“You can now still qualify losing three games and drawing two more.

“It’s a format that enables the big clubs to qualify regardless: a watered down European Super League.”

I think we are talking a combination of Trojan Horse and Emperors New Clothes here.

The new Champions League format the Trojan Horse which as James Ducker says, has now sneaked in a watered down European Super League. Which you can be absolutely sure UEFA will try to expand in very near future. Having gone from the previous 32 teams in the Champions League group stage to now 36 (why???), UEFA will no doubt say, “hasn’t this been a brilliant success, why not go up again to 40…”

Just to remind you, in the ‘old’ school last 32 of the Champions League, you had 32 teams that played in total 48 group games, in order to then provide the last 16. This new ‘exciting’ Swiss League’ (European Super League) has replaced that with 160 matches to get from 36 down to 16, with 144 Swiss League matches and 16 play-off games (what is the justification for the top 16 in the Swiss League not going automatically through??? Oh, that’s right, to make sure none of the ‘wrong’ clubs are eliminated after 144 league matches!

After 144 group games, just look at all the big clubs that have been knocked out…not!!

Look at recent seasons under that old boring Champions League format, after 48 matches the following all eliminated these three previous seasons:

Eliminated in the group stage 2021/22: AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Atalanta, Sevilla

Eliminated in the group stage 2022/23: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Sevilla

Eliminated in the group stage 2023/24: Man U, Sevilla, AC Milan (and Newcastle United!)

This is all just a cynical ploy from UEFA, backed by the usual suspects (the ‘big’ clubs) to protect them as much as possible, ensure they get through to the later stages. Ensure loads more moneyspinning (mostly pointless) matches, to enrich UEFA and especially certain clubs.