A New Champions League: Sporting Progress or Commercial Maneuver?

UEFA is set to implement a major transformation of its flagship competition, the Champions League, starting in the 2024-2025 season. This reform, heralded as “historic,” will profoundly change the structure of Europe’s most prestigious tournament, with declared aims of increasing competitiveness, enhancing spectacle, and renewing the experience for both clubs and fans. However, behind these promises lie complex issues, balancing the development of football with commercial interests.

One of the most visible changes pertains to the number of participating teams. The competition will expand from 32 to 36 clubs, thereby broadening access to more countries and leagues. However, it is primarily the format of the initial phase that is evolving significantly. The traditional setup of eight groups of four teams will be replaced by what is dubbed the “Swiss system,” inspired by the world of chess. In this model, all teams will be grouped into a single overall ranking pool, where each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents chosen according to their level. This change promises greater variety in matchups and potentially more balanced contests.

At the end of this initial phase, a general ranking from 1 to 36 will determine which teams qualify. The top eight will be granted direct access to the Round of 16. Clubs ranked 9th to 24th will go through a two-legged knockout playoff to join the qualifiers. As for the bottom twelve, they will be eliminated without being relegated to the Europa League, marking yet another departure from the current system.

UEFA presents this reform as a response to the growing demand for high-level competition and as a way to increase interest in the group stage, often criticized for being too predictable. By increasing the number of encounters between major clubs from the very first matches, the competition hopes to captivate an increasingly discerning global audience.

However, numerous voices have risen to criticize this reform, which they view primarily as driven by commercial interests. More matches mean greater television revenues, increased marketing rights, and consequently, more profits—particularly for the powerhouses of European football. This new system could thus widen the gap between the richest clubs and their less affluent counterparts, ensuring regular participation for the elite in the later stages of the tournament.

The debate is now underway: will the Champions League in its 2024-2025 iteration be a positive turning point for European football, or will it mark another step towards a competition dominated by economic elites? While the reform promises excitement, it also raises concerns about sporting fairness and the ability of smaller teams to continue crafting remarkable stories on the European stage.