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PSG won the Champions League after a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final. |
After more than three decades of operating with the traditional group stage, the Champions League entered a new era with the "expanded group stage" format - 36 teams, playing one round against eight different opponents, then classified into the knockout round according to their position on the overall ranking.
For PSG, this has been a season of redemption. But for the rest of European football, the question is: is this new format really a success or is it just covering up old flaws with a fresh coat of paint?
PSG - from bottom of the table to top of Europe
PSG finished 15th in the group stage. They lost three of their first five games, and were on the brink of being eliminated from the top 24 - the safe zone for qualification. But Luis Enrique's side bounced back, winning their final three games to secure a play-off spot with Brest, then went on to beat Liverpool (the group winners), Inter Milan and Barcelona to win the title.
Under the old format, such a journey would have been almost impossible. But now, a team that has been inconsistent for three months can still win the title if it has the right spark. Is this progress? Or is it a symptom of the instability that UEFA is unwittingly encouraging?
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PSG winning the Champions League is something not many people think of. |
UEFA promoted the new format with the slogan “Every game counts”. In theory, that’s true. The final two games are meaningless. But in practice, nine teams were eliminated before the eighth round. Manchester City – despite losing three of their last four games – made it through to the knockout stages. So where does the “importance” of each game come from?
Furthermore, with 24 of the 36 teams making it to the knockout stage, the real competitiveness of the group stage is diminished. When most teams still have a chance, the "risk of elimination" - the element that creates the appeal - is diluted.
More appealing, but is it really fair?
Emotionally, this season’s group stage is more exciting. Only two teams (Liverpool and Barcelona) are guaranteed a top eight spot ahead of the final round of matches. That makes for a thrilling campaign, with 64 goals scored in 18 games. But what’s the downside? A team like PSG, who finished outside the top 24, can still win the title. Meanwhile, a group leader like Liverpool is eliminated in the round of 16.
Compared to the national championship, this is like the team finishing 10th in the Premier League table can still be crowned if they play well in the final round of matches - something that can be controversial.
But UEFA has good reason to change. The traditional group stage has become boring. The big teams often qualify early, and the final games lack drama. The new model solves that problem to some extent: many big matches appear early, and many teams still have hope until the last minute.
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The new format of the Champions League is causing controversy. |
But UEFA is also taking a gamble: will the expansion of opportunities make the games less valuable? Will fans still feel that the Champions League is a worthy reward for a season of consistency, or just the result of a “well-timed burst”?
Despite the controversy, PSG deserve credit. They adapted, improved and conquered every step of the way in the new model. But their journey also shows that the new format is changing the identity of the Champions League: from a tournament of stability and high class, to a race where “whoever explodes at the right time, wins”.
Is this good or bad for European football? The answer is unclear. What is known is that PSG are the first team to make the most of the opportunities created by the new format. And UEFA - with both sporting and commercial goals - will certainly continue to closely monitor the results of this "reform" in the coming seasons.
Source: https://znews.vn/psg-vo-dich-uefa-thang-hay-thua-voi-the-thuc-moi-post1557475.html
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