Cyrille de la Morinerie // Photo credit: TOM WELLER / DPA / DPA PICTURE-ALLIANCE VIA AFP
07:00, September 17, 2024
The Champions League, to be followed on Canal+, begins this Tuesday evening and the competition is getting a makeover with a new format. With notably more clubs involved, more matches, an even more spectacular competition and more revenue with nearly 2 and a half billion euros to be shared between the participating clubs.
The group stage is over to make way for a mini-championship with a single ranking where the 36 teams involved will play eight matches. And for this new season, four French clubs are on the starting line, a first in the history of French football with PSG, Brest, Monaco and Lille.
The aim of this new formula is to counter the Super League project and guarantee clubs greater financial revenues and fans the chance to watch matches with prestigious teams. Moreover, there will be many dream games starting this Tuesday with AC Milan facing Liverpool, but also on Wednesday since Manchester City will face Inter Milan.
Heavy stuff for French clubs
LOSC Lille travels to Lisbon this Tuesday evening at 9pm to face Sporting Clube Portugal and will later measure themselves against Real Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus Turin. On Wednesday evening, PSG will host the Spanish side Girona. An intense appetizer before measuring themselves against the main course with Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. On Thursday evening, the sublime announcement poster in the principality for Monaco who will host FC Barcelona.
Finally, Brest, who are new to this competition, will also host the Austrians of SK Sturm Graz in Guingamp on Thursday, while at the end of January, it is Real Madrid who will come to Brittany. “It's attractive, but be careful, it won't be easy for our French clubs,” tempers Alain Giresse, football consultant for Europe 1.
A new anthem for the Champions League
The teams finishing in the top places of this mini-championship at the end of January will qualify directly for the round of 16, the next 16 will play play-offs. There will be no repechage for teams finishing beyond 25th place.
The latest addition is the Champions League anthem, which has been slightly tweaked with some subtle adjustments that might grate on the ears of some fans.
