The new Champions League? No more quality, just more games

The European Super League is over and done. There will be (or won’t be) some consequences for the „Dirty Dozen“ but what about the new UEFA Champions League? It’s suppose to start in 2024, and the number of teams participating in the group stage of the Champions League will increase from 32 to 36, with each side guaranteed at last 10 matches. More matches equals more money for the clubs, but certainly more game for the players and coaches.

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And the good thing for UEFA’s PR was that the Super League story appeared during the same time that new Champions League was announced, and there were virtually no comments at all, since the newly formed competition was the news of the year. But now, when the dust settled, critics are beginning to emerge, and the latest one is Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.

"I'm not sure if I like it because I can only see more games out of it. More games in the schedule we have. It's very hard for me to be excited at all. All these discussions about Super League made us forget we have a new format of Champions League very soon. Did they ask any coach, any player about this? They did not ask me. We have so many new formats with the Nations League and a world championship for clubs coming soon. So much stuff, more games, more teams in the European Championship in the summer. This is not more quality, just more games" said Tuchel.

Manchester City player Ilkay Gundogan has also spoken out in strong terms against the changes to the Champions League.

"More and more and more games, is no one thinking about us players? The new UCL format is just the lesser of the two evils in comparison to the Super League" tweeted Gundogan recently.

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And Barcelona boss Ronald Komean didn’t think twice when asked about the new format of the Champions League.

"It's unbelievable what players need to play in the last few years in all competitions. Everybody is talking about a Super League or a new Champions League or a different way of playing in Europe. UEFA is talking a lot, but it is not doing or listening to the football people, not the managers or the players, about the number of games. Most important for them is the money. Even in Spain, the number of games we need to play, all of that is not always in a positive way for the players. I think that's the most important. It's normal to think about the future of football but first of all they have to protect the football players" said Koeman at the press conference.