⚽⭐⚽ Rainbet’s BTT Champions League – Road to Glory ⚽⭐⚽

[notblox1]

It is a bit weird, right? Opening games and then almost 5 weeks until the next ones?
I don't recall the break between CL games ever being this long.

This is another thing in this stupid new system and I dont like it at all
I have to repeat again they added so many new teams and in reality they lowered the quality of Champions League.
This is not the same competition anymore we loved to watch, and we knew exactly date of the week CL matches will be played.
I dont understand how they could have Europa League matches this week.

[slackovic]

This is another thing in this stupid new system and I dont like it at all
I have to repeat again they added so many new teams and in reality they lowered the quality of Champions League.
This is not the same competition anymore we loved to watch, and we knew exactly date of the week CL matches will be played.
I dont understand how they could have Europa League matches this week.

This one also puzzled me. Why couldn't we have two rounds of the UCL and Europa League instead of each competition having games played in different weeks? In the last season the UCL games were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League games were played on Thursdays. How come that it's different this time?

[Rikafip]

Why couldn't we have two rounds of the UCL and Europa League instead of each competition having games played in different weeks? In the last season the UCL games were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League games were played on Thursdays. How come that it's different this time?

Money, as always. 

I guess UEFA is trying to maximize its profits, so dragging things out and spreading CL games across three instead two days means fewer games are being shown at the same time. Afaik, they will only do it once this season, rest will be the usual schedule (Tuesday/Wednesday CL, Thursday EL).

[darbitmobilerecovery]

Despite i dont like what they are doing with the calendar for the Champions League i also feel like the people building the schedule for everything is working extra hours for sure, i mean with so many games for so many competitions is starting to get really difficult to have rest for the teams and days availables.

This is not a little bit, but very strange. The next break for the Nations League will be in November, but only two rounds will be played instead of the current three, so it might be shorter. Then there will be the winter break in the Champions League itself, followed in March by another break for the Nations League play-offs. The season has been torn to shreds. It's sad, I don't like such kaleidoscope of events, there is no any consistency.

Yes what you are pointing out is one of the bad things it could happen, we can suffer a little bit more that comeback from players and some teams can drop their performance after the breaks.

Why couldn't we have two rounds of the UCL and Europa League instead of each competition having games played in different weeks? In the last season the UCL games were played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League games were played on Thursdays. How come that it's different this time?

Money, as always. 

I guess UEFA is trying to maximize its profits, so dragging things out and spreading CL games across three instead two days means fewer games are being shown at the same time. Afaik, they will only do it once this season, rest will be the usual schedule (Tuesday/Wednesday CL, Thursday EL).

Thats for sure, i feel like the players are starting to feel what it is work hahaha 

[Upgrade00]

This is another thing in this stupid new system and I dont like it at all
I have to repeat again they added so many new teams and in reality they lowered the quality of Champions League.

There are more mismatched matches but we now have the chance to see teams like Barcelona face PSG and Manchester City, Real facing Inter and other competitive match ups.

In the previous format, the group stages were mostly ceremonial. We all expect the teams to finish according to their pots; pot 1 at the top and pot 4 at the bottom position. Now you can still predict top teams to go through but the arrangement is up in the air. The play off qualifiers is the unnecessary round for me

[KTChampions]

There are more mismatched matches but we now have the chance to see teams like Barcelona face PSG and Manchester City, Real facing Inter and other competitive match ups.

In the previous format, the group stages were mostly ceremonial. We all expect the teams to finish according to their pots; pot 1 at the top and pot 4 at the bottom position. Now you can still predict top teams to go through but the arrangement is up in the air. The play off qualifiers is the unnecessary round for me

What’s the point of these games if they don’t mean anything? In the old format, over a six-game stretch, every single game mattered.
What interesting things have we seen during the two years of the new format? Napoli’s elimination - though not many viewed it as the exit of a major club (with all due respect to Napoli). I can't remember anything else.
Under the old format, we had such epic groups - like PSG, Dortmund, Milan, and Newcastle in 2023, or Bayern, Barcelona, ​​Inter, and Viktoria alongside PSG, Juventus, Benfica, and Maccabi in 2022. Those were real battles, where even goal difference mattered.
Right now, we’re essentially looking at a ceremonial, friendly group stage.

[Upgrade00]

Under the old format, we had such epic groups - like PSG, Dortmund, Milan, and Newcastle in 2023, or Bayern, Barcelona, ​​Inter, and Viktoria alongside PSG, Juventus, Benfica, and Maccabi in 2022. Those were real battles, where even goal difference mattered.
Right now, we’re essentially looking at a ceremonial, friendly group stage.

You are right that the league phase now is ceremonial to an extent. There are so many teams qualifying that it is almost guaranteed the top teams will go through, either straight to the round of 16 or the playoffs. It's equivalent to 3rd place in the old format qualifying rather than dropping down to the Europa league.

But I think the matches are more watched now. If you take out a few matches in groups of death before most other group stage matches are not anticipated. The real tournament starts in February with knockouts.
With the new format, top teams meeting is guaranteed multiple times each season and the matches are still anticipated with finishing positions at stake. There are just so many more matches now that the percentage of really tough ones may still be the same as before.

[Rikafip]

What’s the point of these games if they don’t mean anything? In the old format, over a six-game stretch, every single game mattered.

I beg to disagree, I think that the current format is better than the old one. And after all, now we finally have the league, as it says in the name of the competition.

In the old format, top teams usually secured next round after 3 or 4 games at most (except in so called groups of death, but they weren't that common), and then they played the last few games with the subs. In this new format, almost all teams have an incentive to play with their best players until the end in order to secure a top 8 spot, which makes it more exciting.

[KTChampions]

What’s the point of these games if they don’t mean anything? In the old format, over a six-game stretch, every single game mattered.

I beg to disagree, I think that the current format is better than the old one. And after all, now we finally have the league, as it says in the name of the competition.

In the old format, top teams usually secured next round after 3 or 4 games at most (except in so called groups of death, but they weren't that common), and then they played the last few games with the subs. In this new format, almost all teams have an incentive to play with their best players until the end in order to secure a top 8 spot, which makes it more exciting.

Obviously, it’s all subjective, but am I really supposed to believe that in the 8th round (I’m talking about the current season) I’ll find the Arsenal vs. Sabail match interesting to watch? Or maybe Napoli - Viking? Slovan vs. Inter, Shakhtar vs. Milan, etc. 
Besides, why are we talking about the "theory" of the tournament when we already have two years of practical experience? In the first season, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, and City finished outside the top eight, and it didn't bother them at all. The second season was more serious, yet Real Madrid and PSG were once again outside the top eight.
PSG proved to us that the top eight is unnecessary 

[Rikafip]

Obviously, it’s all subjective, but am I really supposed to believe that in the 8th round (I’m talking about the current season) I’ll find the Arsenal vs. Sabail match interesting to watch?

Arsenal vs Sabail would happen no matter the format, but in the old one chances are that Arsenal would already secure next round, while in current one, its not so sure as many teams are trying to get those first 8 spots, and that's what makes it more exciting.

Besides, why are we talking about the "theory" of the tournament when we already have two years of practical experience? In the first season, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, and City finished outside the top eight, and it didn't bother them at all.

Isn't that one extra argument for this new format, as some of the top teams didn't manage to secure the next round and have to play 2 more games in order to go further?

I usually hate changes (and I agree its a matter of personal preference), but somehow I like this one more than the old one. Having said that, that old cup format was crazy, but I don't think that we gonna see that ever again as top teams would be in a real danger to get kicked out of CL very fast, and UEFA wouldn't like that.

[KTChampions]

Obviously, it’s all subjective, but am I really supposed to believe that in the 8th round (I’m talking about the current season) I’ll find the Arsenal vs. Sabail match interesting to watch?

Arsenal vs Sabail would happen no matter the format, but in the old one chances are that Arsenal would already secure next round, while in current one, its not so sure as many teams are trying to get those first 8 spots, and that's what makes it more exciting.

But they aren't fighting, after all. It seems to me that the domestic league takes faaaar higher priority than the Champions League group stage - dropped points in the league can't be recovered, whereas in the Champions League, everything is decided in the knockout stage with a clean slate.

Besides, why are we talking about the "theory" of the tournament when we already have two years of practical experience? In the first season, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, and City finished outside the top eight, and it didn't bother them at all.

Isn't that one extra argument for this new format, as some of the top teams didn't manage to secure the next round and have to play 2 more games in order to go further?

It’s a matter of balancing priorities. What is more important: avoiding two extra Champions League matches - where you might draw a team like Qarabag or Sporting, and where, if you face a strong club, it makes no difference whether it’s the Round of 16 or the Round of 32 - or the domestic league, where there is no room to fix things? From what I saw, it seemed to me that the clubs are choosing the national league.

Having said that, that old cup format was crazy, but I don't think that we gonna see that ever again as top teams would be in a real danger to get kicked out of CL very fast, and UEFA wouldn't like that.

That is the whole problem: now all clubs are guaranteed 8 matches instead of 6, while top clubs are effectively guaranteed 10 (since it is very difficult not to finish in the top 24) instead of 6. But where there is a guarantee, there is no quality, because there are no incentives.

[Rikafip]

But they aren't fighting, after all.

They are for sure fighting more than in previous format where they often secured first spot after 3 or 4 rounds, and rest was easy mode.

From what I saw, it seemed to me that the clubs are choosing the national league.

Dunno, I didn't get that impression. I still remember that crazy Benfica-Real game in the last round of last season's group stage where both teams played with their full teams and Benfica managed to secure next round by beating them, making Real finishing 9th and having to play in those playoffs.

That is the whole problem: now all clubs are guaranteed 8 matches instead of 6, while top clubs are effectively guaranteed 10 (since it is very difficult not to finish in the top 24) instead of 6. But where there is a guarantee, there is no quality, because there are no incentives.

I have no doubts that UEFA made those changes in order to maximize the profit, but as the same time they made it more interesting. At least for me.

[cryptofrka]

I kinda agree with both of you.

KTChampions is correct when saying it's easier to recover from a bad game or 2. There are more games and only 33% of clubs are out after the group stage, instead of 50% like we had previously.
Then again, previously you dropped out of the CL to the EL, thus continuing your European path - now when you're out you're out, which is also a lot more fair to the EL teams fighting for the EL trophy.

I agree with Rikafip when he says there's always an interesting game to watch. Previously in the CL there were days without any interesting games - and I don't recall ever having that in the new format.

I like it, and I hated the idea when I first heard about it. I'd really like us to go back to the simple knockouts though - that was the real challenge.

[Harkorede]

I agree with Rikafip when he says there's always an interesting game to watch. Previously in the CL there were days without any interesting games - and I don't recall ever having that in the new format.

Aside just being an interesting match all the way, the way the pairings are, winning all your easy fixture alone won't get you into the top 8, and each team now play more tough matches in the league phase alone than they usually do until they get to somewhere around in the quarter finals, perhaps it now comes at the expense of bigger teams dropping out a bit more early.

I like it, and I hated the idea when I first heard about it. I'd really like us to go back to the simple knockouts though - that was the real challenge.

I also like this new phase better there is always reason to always reason to play your best players and incentive to finish in the top 8.

In the old format, top teams usually secured next round after 3 or 4 games at most (except in so called groups of death, but they weren't that common)

And the "so called group of death" are more often than not teams of the same caliber like Sporting, Napoli, Leverkusen and Galatasaray, the only time you get see the likes of Barcelona, Inter, and Liverpool is when 2 of them finished poorly the prior season, which doesn't really make them tougher fixtures compared to Barcelona facing the best Bayern Munich, and best PSG from last season.

[Zaguru12]

there's always an interesting game to watch. Previously in the CL there were days without any interesting games - and I don't recall ever having that in the new format.

I think this was the purpose of this new format after all. We all know it came after the super league proposal some was been discussed and the idea was that they could get more big teams to play against each other and also selfishly have the biggest teams to always qualify and it was why this was formed after all.

I also love the new format just that there isn’t second leg which would have been the exciting for most of these big matches.

[leea-1334]

there's always an interesting game to watch. Previously in the CL there were days without any interesting games - and I don't recall ever having that in the new format.

I think this was the purpose of this new format after all. We all know it came after the super league proposal some was been discussed and the idea was that they could get more big teams to play against each other and also selfishly have the biggest teams to always qualify and it was why this was formed after all.

I guess that is true. I always thought some US formats were so boring because the same teams play over and over again and there is practically no relegation or promotion just more money and prizes,,, in fact players move around a lot. But more and more people watch it so I guess they find that interesting. Few of us who do not,,, maybe we are too few to matter 

[Rikafip]

I like it, and I hated the idea when I first heard about it. I'd really like us to go back to the simple knockouts though - that was the real challenge.

I think everyone hated it when they hear it for the first time, but that's no surprise since the previous format was being used for decades (with some changes) and it was basically the one we grew up with. So, knee jerk reaction was to say that it sucks, but after you see it in the practice, it looks better.

I guess that is true. I always thought some US formats were so boring because the same teams play over and over again and there is practically no relegation or promotion just more money and prizes

The franchise system sucks because they look at sports as nothing more than a business, while the situation here is still a bit better. I remember when I watched Welcome to Wrexham and they had to explain to US viewers relegation/promotion system.

[KTChampions]

~ I'd really like us to go back to the simple knockouts though - that was the real challenge.

The tournament could be held using a hybrid format - for example, five rounds under the Swiss system to rank the teams by strength, followed by a double-elimination bracket pitting the top teams against the lower-ranked ones. In that case, teams would have nine guaranteed games, and if one of the top clubs were eliminated in the first two rounds of the playoffs, it would be fair - after all, if there are two teams in the tournament stronger than you, you cannot realistically contend for the title.
I hope AI agents steal this idea and send it to UEFA 

[Daniel91]

It is a bit weird, right? Opening games and then almost 5 weeks until the next ones?
I don't recall the break between CL games ever being this long.

This is another thing in this stupid new system and I dont like it at all
I have to repeat again they added so many new teams and in reality they lowered the quality of Champions League.
This is not the same competition anymore we loved to watch, and we knew exactly date of the week CL matches will be played.
I dont understand how they could have Europa League matches this week.

I wouldn't agree with you that the quality of the Champions League has decreased. Realistically, the highest quality European leagues are England and Spain, followed by Germany, France and Italy.
We have the most clubs in the Champions League from these countries, so we can't talk about any decline in the quality of the Champions League.
I remember a time when only the national champion could play in this competition, so often big clubs like Real, Barcelona, ​​PSG, etc. had to play in a lower tier of European club competition, which is no longer the case.
I think it's a good idea to take a longer break for national team appearances in the Nations League, 1 longer break instead of 2 or 3 shorter breaks, so that everyone can focus on club competitions afterwards.
In any case, as soon as this long break is over and the Champions League returns, the Crovengers team will be ready. 

[Ryu_Ar1]

It is a bit weird, right? Opening games and then almost 5 weeks until the next ones?
I don't recall the break between CL games ever being this long.

This is another thing in this stupid new system and I dont like it at all
I have to repeat again they added so many new teams and in reality they lowered the quality of Champions League.
This is not the same competition anymore we loved to watch, and we knew exactly date of the week CL matches will be played.
I dont understand how they could have Europa League matches this week.

FIFA's schedule changes make the break a little longer but that doesn't mean it's a drop just that the schedule is a little on the slide. Usually we always see the international break it's only 2 games but for this time we will see 4 games at once so this certainly affects other schedules including for the Champions League so I feel this is a reasonable situation because if forced in too big a porcelain this also becomes unfair to the players because it is like being squeezed to continue to gain the benefits of the Federation.

But with this the October international break is gone because everything has been put together with this september break so I think it's also a good thing because the players don't have to go back and forth and push themselves to focus on the club and the national team.