A year ago, 12 clubs threatened to make the top tier of European football a closed shop.
It was a travesty, which eventually forced the majority of the clubs involved into an embarrassing climbdown amid fan protests and consternation that a meritocracy felt they were above having to qualify for European competition.
Whilst Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain wedded to the idea of a Super League plan - albeit with the closed-shop element scrapped - it appears that the Champions League is here to stay for the time being at least.
Yet, one year on, UEFA are not the great saviours of football that they made themselves out to be when fighting against the Super League. Instead, they have railroaded through format changes to the Champions League that no fan has asked for - also placating underperforming big clubs by giving them alternative routes into the competition via historical performance.
The new format benefits both UEFA, thanks to the fact an expanded tournament and more fixtures - four extra teams have been added and each club will now play 10 group matches - mean they can gain more broadcast revenue, and also big clubs, due to there being very little jeopardy involved in the new-look group stage.
Do you agree with the Champions League changes? Have your say in our Super League survey.
With all 36 teams in one big group, the top eight teams will qualify directly for the round of 16, whilst clubs finishing between ninth and 24 will then face a knockout stage to decide who also progresses to the last 16. That means that just 12 teams exit the competition in the group stage, down from the current total of 18, despite four more clubs being involved.
So gone are the days of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund exiting the tournament at the hands of less star-studded sides, as happened this year. Instead, we’re faced with a procession of dead rubbers, with teams likely to know whereabouts they will finish in the giant group after just a few matches.
Any shocks in the group stage, such as Real Madrid’s defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol this season, will no longer carry such a weight due to the fact more games mean plenty more chances for fancied teams to pick up points.
UEFA claim the new format will deliver more big group matches, with top clubs playing each other more regularly. Yet, barring a handful of six-pointers, which could decide whether a side goes directly to the last 16 or faces an extra knock-out round, these games between top clubs will effectively be glorified friendlies, with clubs having to be spectacularly bad in order to turn these matches into must-win games.
The governing body’s argument also falls down in two places. One, that more games between these top clubs with less on the line will make the truly important matches seem a little less unique, and two, by giving the big clubs access to the tournament even if they fail to qualify, UEFA are actively making the competition less competitive.
Take Manchester United, for example. The Red Devils are enduring a woeful Premier League season and currently sit seventh, which, depending on who wins the FA Cup, could be enough to guarantee them a place in the Champions League next year due to their historic performance in the competition.
Whilst United may not be depriving any other team of a place in the tournament due to UEFA’s decision to expand, this season’s performances have shown they are not worthy of playing in the Champions League. So, whilst on paper, Manchester United playing Real Madrid may be a meeting between two of Europe’s biggest clubs, in reality, United’s performances against similar-quality opposition this season show it would be a one-sided affair.
These reforms were widely panned when first unveiled by UEFA, but were also seen as a necessary compromise to placate Europe’s biggest clubs, especially those from outside England, who had grown tired of trying to compete with the Premier League’s riches.
Yet, following the Super League climbdown, UEFA had the upper hand and were in a position to scrap the changes in favour of a format that had fan support. They squandered that opportunity, and we will all pay the price with a lesser-rate tournament.
Do you agree with the Champions League changes? Have your say in our Super League survey above and share your thoughts in the comments below.
