New format revives romance

The UEFA Champions League will become an even more exciting competition if the new format introduced last season continues to prove its worth.

Fresh excitement
UEFA's technical report on last season's revamped competition says that while many of the major clubs eliminated in its knockout phase may have regretted the disappearance of a second-group stage, the excitement generated in the new knockout phase provided added spice.

Easing pressure
UEFA abolished the 16-team second group stage for the 2003/04 competition. The Champions League format now comprises one 32-team group phase, followed by a 16-team knockout competition. The move was designed not only to enhance the competition's appeal, but also to ease the pressure on Europe's top players and coaches.

Reduced workload
"The abolition of the second group stage was greeted with mixed reactions," the report said. "Although nobody disagreed with the move towards a significantly reduced workload [four matchdays fewer and 125 games as opposed to 157], some technicians felt that some of Europe's best club football was being removed from the calendar. They argued that, whereas a majority of first-phase groups consisted of favourites and underdogs, the second group stage produced football of great intensity and high levels of technique. It's understandable that some coaches feel that it is this arena where their greatest professional challenges are to be found.

Own expectations
"It is undeniable that treasurers, presidents, coaches and everyone else involved in the top-level game go into the UEFA Champions League with their own agenda, their own expectations and their own perceptions of success and failure. UEFA has a broader obligation to look after the welfare of the competition and the game of football in general and, in this context, there are reasons to interpret the change of format as a success.

Special aura
"The new formula reduces the workload not only for players and coaches but also for supporters. Fewer matchdays mean that UEFA Champions League fixtures have a special aura and avoid the risk of becoming a week-in, week-out routine. And, even though many of the top guns were shot down earlier than expected, the television viewing figures provided heartening evidence in favour of the new structure.

Football's romance
"The abolition of the second group stage may have left a bitter taste in many of the favourites' mouths, but the thrills and spills undoubtedly worked wonders for the romance of the game and gave the competition even greater public appeal," the report concluded.