UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Season

[Lukakur]

If it's just about Arsenal team not being of equal strength to PSG it makes sense to agree with that as it was very clear by the stats in the final and the result too. But, what I wouldn't agree on is the mark on Arsenal team having worst players,  that's a disrespect to them. Playing in the UCL and encountering many teams credible teams. I can't say they got to the finals by luck, they worked hard for it but only met a better side than them in the finals they lost.
Arsenal has one of the best team in the world which means they've some of the best players making the team too.

From statistics, Arsenal were behind PSG, meaning players on the pitch, but statistics are a waste of time, essentially they were equal, because what matters is reality, the numbers are just an evaluation, but on the pitch and in the action you can see the difference.
All season Arsenal made their fans doubt it too, but they believed in it and achieved excellent results, the UCL final ended on penalties, there was no real difference in performance.

[BitBakerr1]

Snip

There was one English commentator and former player and he said before the semifinal or the final that they should already build a statue for Arteta because with the players he had, it is not normal to win the UCL. I agree with that, from all the teams in the semifinals I think Arsenal had the worst players. Maybe they are like Atletico Madrid, but they don't have many of the best.

Declan Rice in the midfield, Saka is kind of good, or very good, but he is not one of the best in the world on his position and that's it.

Nobody expected that Arsenal would march through the knockout stages the same way they performed in the league stage.

If it's just about Arsenal team not being of equal strength to PSG it makes sense to agree with that as it was very clear by the stats in the final and the result too. But, what I wouldn't agree on is the mark on Arsenal team having worst players,  that's a disrespect to them. Playing in the UCL and encountering many teams credible teams. I can't say they got to the finals by luck, they worked hard for it but only met a better side than them in the finals they lost.
Arsenal has one of the best team in the world which means they've some of the best players making the team too.

Yes, Arsenal has a very good squad and they did very well last season, in a match final someone most win and if PSG won on penalties those not mean they are actually better than Arsenal, everyone has their own approach in a match it true that PSG played more better in the final but one cannot deny the fact that Arsenal did very well in the final they scored a very wonderful goal but PSG was unable to score a clear goal if not for penalty, I will say PSG won the champions league by luck even though they performed better if they can’t score a clear goal they are not good enough,
Next season they won’t lift the champions league trophy again, I believe in that and I know teams know exactly how to stop or play them now.

[KTChampions]

Enzo Maresca won UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea is really elite trophies won although have sacked from his position, next season big challenge for him after appointing to replace Pep Guardiola position and become Manchester City's manager. Pep's shadow exactly high pressure for Maresca how to make Manchester City can playing better than in this season performance exactly reach higher round in Champion League.

The experienced of Maresca should be easy for him because his tactical not really difference with Manchester City with Pep Guardiola era, last season The Citizen eliminated at round of 16 what next season performance under new manager will City has chance back to final in Champion League.

What shadow? Look at Pep's results in the Champions League against Real Madrid   Real dominated the decisive matches (play-offs) 4-1. Moreover, in almost every one of these confrontations, Real was in crisis, and City only in the last couple of seasons. Speaking of the Premier League, City haven't seen a title in sight for two seasons. Maresca will certainly be under pressure, but it's not like coming to Bayern and seeing anything less than first place as a complete failure.

[Frankolala]

Enzo Maresca won UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea is really elite trophies won although have sacked from his position, next season big challenge for him after appointing to replace Pep Guardiola position and become Manchester City's manager. Pep's shadow exactly high pressure for Maresca how to make Manchester City can playing better than in this season performance exactly reach higher round in Champion League.

The experienced of Maresca should be easy for him because his tactical not really difference with Manchester City with Pep Guardiola era, last season The Citizen eliminated at round of 16 what next season performance under new manager will City has chance back to final in Champion League.

What shadow? Look at Pep's results in the Champions League against Real Madrid   Real dominated the decisive matches (play-offs) 4-1. Moreover, in almost every one of these confrontations, Real was in crisis, and City only in the last couple of seasons. Speaking of the Premier League, City haven't seen a title in sight for two seasons. Maresca will certainly be under pressure, but it's not like coming to Bayern and seeing anything less than first place as a complete failure.

I get your point. It's not a must that Maresca must win the title next season because that's not why he was hired since City hasn't been able to win it for two seasons now. Maresca will be given enough time to see if he can win the title for City and I wouldn't say that he will be a failure because he's a good coach too. He will prove a lot of people wrong.

[*Ace*]

Enzo Maresca won UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea is really elite trophies won although have sacked from his position, next season big challenge for him after appointing to replace Pep Guardiola position and become Manchester City's manager. Pep's shadow exactly high pressure for Maresca how to make Manchester City can playing better than in this season performance exactly reach higher round in Champion League.

The experienced of Maresca should be easy for him because his tactical not really difference with Manchester City with Pep Guardiola era, last season The Citizen eliminated at round of 16 what next season performance under new manager will City has chance back to final in Champion League.

What shadow? Look at Pep's results in the Champions League against Real Madrid   Real dominated the decisive matches (play-offs) 4-1. Moreover, in almost every one of these confrontations, Real was in crisis, and City only in the last couple of seasons. Speaking of the Premier League, City haven't seen a title in sight for two seasons. Maresca will certainly be under pressure, but it's not like coming to Bayern and seeing anything less than first place as a complete failure.

Enzo Maresca is certainly set to inherit a huge challenge.
Manchester City have enjoyed many years of success, and it will be no easy task for anyone to match the results achieved by Pep Guardiola.
I honestly still believe that Manchester City have the strongest squad in the Premier League, but they’ve been going through a rough patch. Enzo Maresca will have the task of lifting spirits once again and trying to win the Premier League.

[chinhar]

Snip

There was one English commentator and former player and he said before the semifinal or the final that they should already build a statue for Arteta because with the players he had, it is not normal to win the UCL. I agree with that, from all the teams in the semifinals I think Arsenal had the worst players. Maybe they are like Atletico Madrid, but they don't have many of the best.

Declan Rice in the midfield, Saka is kind of good, or very good, but he is not one of the best in the world on his position and that's it.

Nobody expected that Arsenal would march through the knockout stages the same way they performed in the league stage.

If it's just about Arsenal team not being of equal strength to PSG it makes sense to agree with that as it was very clear by the stats in the final and the result too. But, what I wouldn't agree on is the mark on Arsenal team having worst players,  that's a disrespect to them. Playing in the UCL and encountering many teams credible teams. I can't say they got to the finals by luck, they worked hard for it but only met a better side than them in the finals they lost.
Arsenal has one of the best team in the world which means they've some of the best players making the team too.

Absolutely agree. Arsenal actually have one of the best defenses we've seen in the Champions League. While they still have some weaknesses in attack, they're more strategically challenged. And even though they were fortunate enough to reach the UCL, it's not undeserving. They've given a lot, so if they've gotten to where they are, they clearly know how to get by.

[Different patterns]

There are rumors that Mikel Arteta really wants a player like Vini and has asked his team to make a move and try to sign him from Real Madrid. For Arteta, Vini is not just an attacking option but a dream target, perfecting his tactics, which have made Arsenal's front line a nightmare for opposing defenders. Because, if you look at Arteta current tactical approach, a player like Vini will clearly change Arsenal game next season. So, the question is will Real Madrid be willing to let Vini go, or will Arsenal be able to afford him if Madrid asks for a high price?

With Florentino as President, do you think he'd let Vini go? No way, not a chance. Vini has to be part of Mourinho's team. For me, he'd be a key player. They already have a great defender, a real superstar, and the midfield and attack are well-organized. I think this is what they wanted. Now they just need a good midfielder. I hope Florentino surprises me, because they definitely need a really good one.

There are several problems with Vinicius that Real Madrid need to solve.
The first is that he wants to be the main star of the team and has the biggest fan base possible because of Mbappe.
On the other hand, there is also a serious problem between Mourinho and Vinicius after the match between Benfica and Real Madrid and some reckless comments Mourinho made about Vinicius.
If these problems are not solved, it will greatly affect the team spirit and unity and affect Real Madrid's results in the new season.
I think that Real Madrid is currently in a transitional phase and that next season they will not be competitive to win the Champions League, i.e. at the level of PSG or Bayern.

You actually bring  the important point on the challenges faced by Real Madrid because I understand that they have big personalities in the team that can deliver but individual brilliance needs to be balanced with the goal of the team, because it seems that some players have personal plans in some major games, though they may have what it takes but they still need their team to bring the desired results they need, Players like Mbappé and Vinicius need good management, the management needs to find a way that their qualities and role in the team will compliment each other rather than creating competition between them. And Mourinho's success in this team will also depend on his ability to build a good relationship with his players because I know Mourinho is a player that wants discipline but modern football also requires a balance between good communication and authority. Real Madrid are currently in their transition phase but with good management and their ability to adapt quickly will make them compete at the very highest level again and they also have the history of adapting quickly and have the advantage of elite players in the team.

[martinom]

Manchester City still have that strength because pep Guardiola have left but his spirit still remain that is why I am so confident for the New Coach because those players are world class player who still have strength to perform very well.

there is absolutely no lack of quality, there are teams that are always improving and better and better, this certainly gives me hope for this next season, i must say that Manchester United is the team that inspires me most of all, and i will be happy if next championship they do something more than what they have done now.

[xzone]

For now Madrid look likes a team that is willing to do anything for the improvement of their squad and moreover they have been a threat for long in the champions league stage and we all know that just that this particular period and team is facing some tight times and that's where maybe the world cup comes to play as so many teams will be looking to add some players as you have stated due to exposure of some brilliant players that will perform exceedingly well in the competition.

This period is very important for footballers; there will undoubtedly be rising stars. Just think about the goalkeeper's performance against Spain. There's a phenomenal goalkeeper right now that the whole world is talking about, Vozinha. If Vozinha were a bit younger, I'm sure he would have transferred to a team in Europe after that match. Watching him is enjoyable for many people, but he's past an age where he can earn money; that's the only problem

[blue Snow]

Enzo Maresca won UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea is really elite trophies won although have sacked from his position, next season big challenge for him after appointing to replace Pep Guardiola position and become Manchester City's manager. Pep's shadow exactly high pressure for Maresca how to make Manchester City can playing better than in this season performance exactly reach higher round in Champion League.

The experienced of Maresca should be easy for him because his tactical not really difference with Manchester City with Pep Guardiola era, last season The Citizen eliminated at round of 16 what next season performance under new manager will City has chance back to final in Champion League.

Of course, Enzo Maresca will be in Guardiola’s shadow. The pressure Enzo Maresca will face at Manchester City will be different from what he experienced at Chelsea. The legacy Guardiola left at Manchester City is so immense that, whether he likes it or not, Enzo Maresca must be able to lead Manchester City to the highest level. In the Champions League, Enzo Maresca is expected to lead Manchester City to the semifinals or finals, a daunting task for him. Fans will be watching to see how Enzo Maresca can live up to the immense expectations resting on his shoulders.

[pusaka]

Enzo Maresca won UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea is really elite trophies won although have sacked from his position, next season big challenge for him after appointing to replace Pep Guardiola position and become Manchester City's manager. Pep's shadow exactly high pressure for Maresca how to make Manchester City can playing better than in this season performance exactly reach higher round in Champion League.

The experienced of Maresca should be easy for him because his tactical not really difference with Manchester City with Pep Guardiola era, last season The Citizen eliminated at round of 16 what next season performance under new manager will City has chance back to final in Champion League.

What shadow? Look at Pep's results in the Champions League against Real Madrid   Real dominated the decisive matches (play-offs) 4-1. Moreover, in almost every one of these confrontations, Real was in crisis, and City only in the last couple of seasons. Speaking of the Premier League, City haven't seen a title in sight for two seasons. Maresca will certainly be under pressure, but it's not like coming to Bayern and seeing anything less than first place as a complete failure.

I can understand what Op meant about the shadow. Because the fans will definitely use Pep Guardiola's achievements as a benchmark for what their next coach should achieve, now it's Enzo who has to live up to their expectations. 6 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League title and several other titles in 10 years of coaching is a remarkable achievement.
 
And fans will always make the success of the previous coach into something that the next coach must achieve. It's a common thing in football, and I wouldn't be surprised that in Enzo's first season there might be some people trying to compare him to Pep Guardiola.

[Abu-Naim]

Of course, Enzo Maresca will be in Guardiola’s shadow. The pressure Enzo Maresca will face at Manchester City will be different from what he experienced at Chelsea. The legacy Guardiola left at Manchester City is so immense that, whether he likes it or not, Enzo Maresca must be able to lead Manchester City to the highest level. In the Champions League, Enzo Maresca is expected to lead Manchester City to the semifinals or finals, a daunting task for him. Fans will be watching to see how Enzo Maresca can live up to the immense expectations resting on his shoulders.

I don’t even think that there will be so much pressure in him, he has been the before a has word with Guardiola before now, so it is the same thing, the only difference now will be that Guardiola will not be in the touch line, but guidance will be the same in my opinion.

Only opposition teams will feel relieved due to absence of Pep in the touch line because the tension of playing against Pep alone is the reason why some teams lose to Manchester City, but now that he is not the main man in charge of the team, the premier league will now stay calm and the title race will now be fair without tension anymore because Arsenal has faced a lot of challenges to win their first Premier League title in more than two decades.

[B-BossMan]

Arsenal have won the title after a long time. They will definitely want to maintain this consistency. Arsenal's squad is strong and Arteta is also a very clever manager. On the other hand, the situation of other teams in the Premier League is unstable. Liverpool and Chelsea have played very badly this season. It is also not sure whether City will be able to play well next season after Guardiola leaves. I guess we will see a title fight between Arsenal and Manchester United next season.

Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man City even if they did not play well in the last season l still think they all have the resources and quality to bounce  very quickly, most especially with new signing and constant training. And as for City, even if Guardiola eventually leaves, the club i think the club strength is strong enough to remain their balance and remain competitive.

Sure, even Guardiola leave Manchsster City is already built in a way where they will keep.performing very great in their matches,  Enzo Marrsca won't suffer to build the squad again, he just need to add some strategies that maybe he will wish to add to the team, But he don't need even stress in building the squad he should just continue as pep left thrm, so they will get what they want.

You know one thing we need to understand is that, no matter how poor a team is, once they are not performing stronger clearly or played as expected, there wouldn't be an easier life for the Coach. Mind you every Coach truly has thier own different patterns of coaching, in football history success is not guarantee alone or just because the teams are already built thier standards or structures, there are different ideas and tactics every Coaches use, what actually worked under a particular manager may not woks on for the another manager.  The main concerns and challenges is to be able to maintain the emotion and disciplines and consistency, so building a teams has a little difficulties but how to maintain ir sustaining the dominance can be hard a little, so Guardiola has actually tried

[Swordsoffreedom]

From statistics, Arsenal were behind PSG, meaning players on the pitch, but statistics are a waste of time, essentially they were equal, because what matters is reality, the numbers are just an evaluation, but on the pitch and in the action you can see the difference.
All season Arsenal made their fans doubt it too, but they believed in it and achieved excellent results, the UCL final ended on penalties, there was no real difference in performance.

We have not  seen any change in Arsenal's tactics and gameplay. They played a defensive strategy in every match of the knockout round. And succeeded in every match.

We saw similar gameplay from Arsenal in the final  as well. They played defensively. PSG on the other hand were completely aggressive. psg did not stop trying to score. Many powerful attacks were made by psg players. Even then they couldn't score more  than one goal against Arteta's defensive tactics. More interestingly, psg  scored their only goal from the penalty spot.

Arsenal's match strategy  was correct. Arsenal lost in the penalty shootout. It was their  bad luck. Winning a penalty shootout depends largely on luck.

[Daniel91]

There are rumors that Mikel Arteta really wants a player like Vini and has asked his team to make a move and try to sign him from Real Madrid. For Arteta, Vini is not just an attacking option but a dream target, perfecting his tactics, which have made Arsenal's front line a nightmare for opposing defenders. Because, if you look at Arteta current tactical approach, a player like Vini will clearly change Arsenal game next season. So, the question is will Real Madrid be willing to let Vini go, or will Arsenal be able to afford him if Madrid asks for a high price?

With Florentino as President, do you think he'd let Vini go? No way, not a chance. Vini has to be part of Mourinho's team. For me, he'd be a key player. They already have a great defender, a real superstar, and the midfield and attack are well-organized. I think this is what they wanted. Now they just need a good midfielder. I hope Florentino surprises me, because they definitely need a really good one.

There are several problems with Vinicius that Real Madrid need to solve.
The first is that he wants to be the main star of the team and has the biggest fan base possible because of Mbappe.
On the other hand, there is also a serious problem between Mourinho and Vinicius after the match between Benfica and Real Madrid and some reckless comments Mourinho made about Vinicius.
If these problems are not solved, it will greatly affect the team spirit and unity and affect Real Madrid's results in the new season.
I think that Real Madrid is currently in a transitional phase and that next season they will not be competitive to win the Champions League, i.e. at the level of PSG or Bayern.

You actually bring  the important point on the challenges faced by Real Madrid because I understand that they have big personalities in the team that can deliver but individual brilliance needs to be balanced with the goal of the team, because it seems that some players have personal plans in some major games, though they may have what it takes but they still need their team to bring the desired results they need, Players like Mbappé and Vinicius need good management, the management needs to find a way that their qualities and role in the team will compliment each other rather than creating competition between them. And Mourinho's success in this team will also depend on his ability to build a good relationship with his players because I know Mourinho is a player that wants discipline but modern football also requires a balance between good communication and authority. Real Madrid are currently in their transition phase but with good management and their ability to adapt quickly will make them compete at the very highest level again and they also have the history of adapting quickly and have the advantage of elite players in the team.

Yes, that's exactly what the last 2 Real Madrid coaches, who came after Ancelotti, Alonso and Arbeloa failed to do. They failed to bring order to the Real Madrid locker room and make the team's main stars play for the team and not for themselves.
The team's hierarchy is broken, Vini and Mbappe are fighting for the position of the team's main star, and the Real Madrid team has split into 2 camps, there was no necessary team spirit and unity and because of that, Real has failed to win any relevant trophy for the second season.
That's why I don't see them as favorites to win the Champions League this season, and I'm still not sure that Mourinho is the best choice to coach Real, but time will tell.
I expect that the same clubs will fight for the Champions League trophy next season, PSG, Bayern and Arsenal, because the other big clubs, like Real or Manchester City, are in the transition and team building phase now.

[$weetne$$]

Absolutely agree. Arsenal actually have one of the best defenses we've seen in the Champions League. While they still have some weaknesses in attack, they're more strategically challenged. And even though they were fortunate enough to reach the UCL, it's not undeserving. They've given a lot, so if they've gotten to where they are, they clearly know how to get by.

They are very much deserving of the champions league, qualifying for it, they have actually put in the work to deserve it, even next season i believe they will be able to get the premier league and even the champions league if the perform better than they did in the last season. they have all it take and they probably have the capacity to put in the needed work to get it done.

[LUCKMCFLY]

They need a player like Kroos to lead and manage the team. In my opinion, Rodri could have been an important signing for this position. However, I wonder if they will actually make it happen. After all, he's an important player for Manchester City and they wouldn't want to let him go. Even if he's not there, they need to bring in a player of equal quality. Right now, we see that Real Madrid is struggling with transition play. They have trouble transferring the ball from defense to attack. To solve that, they need a transfer of this type for this position.

I don't think Rodri fits in with Real Madrid's style. I think they should look for another midfielder. Now that the World Cup is on, there are many good options. The midfielder is the one who will bear all the responsibility for the team because he's the one who puts everything together. He's responsible for the team not looking bad, as it has been all this time, since he makes both defense and attack look bad. It's due to the lack of a good midfielder.

[GiftedMAN]

Absolutely agree. Arsenal actually have one of the best defenses we've seen in the Champions League. While they still have some weaknesses in attack, they're more strategically challenged. And even though they were fortunate enough to reach the UCL, it's not undeserving. They've given a lot, so if they've gotten to where they are, they clearly know how to get by.

They are very much deserving of the champions league, qualifying for it, they have actually put in the work to deserve it, even next season i believe they will be able to get the premier league and even the champions league if the perform better than they did in the last season. they have all it take and they probably have the capacity to put in the needed work to get it done.

For the English Premier League yes but Arsenal winning the champions League will need them to add more set of players to the team and stop their pattern of massive defense. Next season's champions League will be more difficult for Arsenal because Real Madrid making great moves to sign players that will help them dominate the competition so unless Arsenal makes good signings they can't easily get the league talk more it the champions League next season.

[Bright0515]

Enzo Maresca is certainly set to inherit a huge challenge.
Manchester City have enjoyed many years of success, and it will be no easy task for anyone to match the results achieved by Pep Guardiola.
I honestly still believe that Manchester City have the strongest squad in the Premier League, but they’ve been going through a rough patch. Enzo Maresca will have the task of lifting spirits once again and trying to win the Premier League.

Huge challenge?well, I don't really think that maresca is going to encounter much problems with the team because Manchester city isn't really in a bad form, remember that they finished the season with a good position on the league table, they had their failures but they are not really as bad as people think they are currently. Maresca is a good Coach and has a lot of experience, he can take over from where guardiola stopped and perhaps even do better. We cannot really be sure of what happens but I don't think maresca would go through a difficult time with the team.

[DanWalker]

I don't think Rodri fits in with Real Madrid's style. I think they should look for another midfielder. Now that the World Cup is on, there are many good options. The midfielder is the one who will bear all the responsibility for the team because he's the one who puts everything together. He's responsible for the team not looking bad, as it has been all this time, since he makes both defense and attack look bad. It's due to the lack of a good midfielder.

Rodri is quite a talented player. So I would not  say he can not adapt to Madrid's gameplay. He was in Manchester city for a long time. But  before that he was at villarreal and Atletico madrid for a few years. So Rodri is well aware of the la liga style of play. Rodri will not have too  much trouble adjusting to real madrid. Another reason for this is that madrid have appointed a new manager. All the players  have to adapt to the new strategy.