Uefa’s drastic restructure of the group stage appears likely to make it more confusing, not more competitive
“Ce sont les meilleures équipes …” This week, a familiar choral refrain returns to stadiums, bars and living rooms across Europe and beyond. The opening Champions League ‘match day’ offers plenty of intriguing games and historic names – Milan v Newcastle, Feyenoord v Celtic, Bayern v Manchester United. Ideologies collide as Real Madrid host Union Berlin; eras entwine as Manchester City face Red Star Belgrade. It’s a feast of football to be savoured – not least because the group stage is about to change dramatically …
Written by Niall McVeigh
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/18/champions-league-group-stage-new-format-explainer under the title “Champions League is far from perfect but what is coming next looks worse”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
