A new era or just another experiment? We’re on the brink of a new competition format under UEFA’s guidance, featuring 108 clubs in the league stage. It sounds promising and encouraging. However, let’s keep the fanfare on standby until we see the response from the true creators of football experiences—the players, fans, and club management.
Participants in the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League will each play eight league matches, while those in the Conference League will play six. The benefit is clear: more matches (144 in total) mean more revenue for the clubs. The project’s creators anticipate far fewer matches without competitive significance, as two-thirds of the participants will advance to the knockout rounds in the spring. Every point will be rewarded by UEFA. For some, this will mean significant financial rewards, while for others, it will be a small consolation for long travels and weak opponents.
For those football enthusiasts who still believe that football is just a game—even in an era of robotics and digital achievements, and at a time when clubs are crossing the five billion euro mark on the stock exchange—the new UEFA concept reaffirms a vital life credo. The saying “the ball is round” gains new significance and value in this well-thought-out and modern model, where computer algorithms replace the traditional draw system. On this personal platform, football remains a chance for everyone. No one will be denied the chance to dream big, for example how a team from the outskirts of Yerevan could end up at Stamford Bridge competing for points. Out of UEFA’s 55 member countries, 40 of them will have their teams represented in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League
For a projection of the new competition system, let’s look at a Conference League match scheduled for November 7 in London. What a clash it will be! Chelsea, with the world’s most expensive team worth €1.263 billion, will host a team valued at just €5.3 million. The team is Noa from Yerevan, a seven-year-old club. The reference to Mount Ararat (sacred mountain of the Armenians), where Noah’s Ark is said to have come to rest after the flood, is no accident. In two months, Noa will reach Stamford Bridge, which is awash with cash following another financial rainstorm. Chelsea is currently 240 times more expensive than the Armenian runner-up. For the group stage of the Conference League, where Chelsea will face Gent, Heidenheim, Panathinaikos, Shamrock Rovers, and Astana, they will not have the services of Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, and Romeo Lavia, who cost nearly 200 million euros.
Even a small obstacle can cause trouble for the rich, arrogant, and greedy. However, it seems that this new concept of European club competitions is setting the stage for a definitive shaping of the Super League, Europa League, and the third tier in an NBA-style model. There’s no need to fear this; instead, we should embrace it as a challenge of a new era. One thing that must be done from the start is to make weekends a priority for national league matches. Otherwise, it would be an attack on history, symbols, rivalries, and the heart of the fans!
