In the absence of a supercomputer, the Champions League journey stands stagnant.
The UEFA Champions League is embracing Artificial Intelligence now. This evening, a powerful computer will take part in the intricate group stage draw for this tournament's history, which is set to be its most complex yet. However, it's not just the competition that's getting revamped; the anthem is sounding different too. But it's not a complete transformation; it just has a fresh feel to it. The original tune, which was produced by composer Tony Britten in 1992, inspired by Handel's "Zadok the Priest," has managed to carve out its own identity.
The new version of the anthem still retains the signature lyrics about the best, but it has been reworked by the orchestra and tweaked slightly, according to UEFA. The choir "Tenebrae" takes the lead in the new recording, adding a more soothing and serene tone. What used to evoke emotion in fans is now skimming the surface of pleasantry. This anthem marks a shift in the league's brand, which will bear little resemblance to the previous season, where Dortmund shockingly reached the final.
The most striking change since the Champions League's establishment in 1992-1993 is the elimination of the traditional group stage format. Now, the 36 teams (rather than the usual 32) will compete in a single league. After playing eight games, the top eight teams will progress to the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in a play-off round to determine the remaining eight spots. German clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund will enjoy international soccer's elite in this new version of the Champions League.
The entry fee for clubs has increased from €15.64 million to €18.62 million, with an additional €2.1 million per victory (previously €2.8 million), and winning placements range from €275,000 for the 36th spot in the league phase to €10 million for the top-placed team. In the ideal situation, UEFA will pay out over €112 million to a participant, nearly double the previous amount.
Alongside these matchday revenues and funds from the new market pool, UEFA will distribute €853 million from the pool. The distribution breakdown for these two primary sources and bonuses is quite close, making the Chief Financial Officer and the sporting director happy.
Now, let's explore the revamped Champions League.
How does the draw work? Very little remains the same. In the past, 32 teams were rigidly segregated into eight groups of four. But that's not the case anymore. The 36 teams will compete in a league system, playing eight group stage matches - four home games and four away games - against eight different opponents. Each team will face two opponents from each pot, including themselves.
The 36 teams are categorized into four pots based on their UEFA coefficient. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig are in Pot 1. Champions Bayer Leverkusen is in Pot 2, and returnees VfB Stuttgart joined Pot 4. Being in Pot 1 no longer provides an advantage, as each team faces opponents from all pots. The UEFA guarantees that top teams will play in the group stage, adding excitement to the competition. Finances likely played a significant role in this reform as well, with 144 group stage matches instead of 96, including 40 involving German teams.
Matches between teams from the same country will continue to be avoided. Given that three German teams are in Pot 1, it is evident that German representatives will face two of the remaining six opponents: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, and FC Barcelona.
- Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, FC Barcelona
- Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta Bergamo, Juventus Turin, Benfica Lisbon, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
- Pot 3: Feyenoord Rotterdam, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, FC Salzburg, Lille OSC, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys Bern, Celtic Glasgow
- Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava, AS Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, VfB Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Stade Brest.
The novelty in the draw: The traditional hand-drawn method for the draw is no longer going to be the sole method used.UEFA states that considering all possibilities with 1000 balls could take several hours, therefore, a software from a London-based company with extensive experience in this field will be utilized. This AI-powered supercomputer aims to complete the task in just 35 minutes. The process involves the manual drawing of each club, followed by the computer randomly selecting the remaining opponents and determining the home and away matches for each team.
Possible rival teams for the five German teams could appear like this:
- Bayern Munich: Man City (A), Paris (H), Atlético (A), Atalanta (H), Feyenoord (A), Young Boys (H), Bratislava (A), Monaco (H)
- Borussia Dortmund: Real (H), Liverpool (A), Milan (A), Brugge (H), Lille (A), Salzburg (H), Girona (A), Prague (H)
- RB Leipzig: Inter (A), Barcelona (H), Arsenal (A), Juventus (H), Celtic (A), Red Star (H), Graz (H), Brest (A)
- Bayer Leverkusen: Atlético (H), Atalanta (A), PSG (A), Real (H), Feyenoord (H), Young Boys (A), Aston Villa (H), Bologna (A)
- VfB Stuttgart: Bratislava (H), Monaco (A), Inter (A), Barcelona (H), Milan (A), Brugge (H), Lille (A), Eindhoven (H)
How does it proceed after the group stage? The 36 teams will compete in a league system, resulting in a single table featuring all teams. The top 8 teams after eight matchdays will directly move to the Champions League round of 16. The teams ranked 9 to 24 will advance to the newly introduced knockout round playoffs. The teams ranked 25 to 36 will be eliminated.
The teams ranked 9 to 24 will determine the rest of the round of 16 participants in eight home and away matches. The winners will then progress to the traditional knockout system from the round of 16, aiming to compete in the final in Munich. This year, for the first time, the teams won't be re-drawn for each round but will be placed in a tournament tree based on their league phase rankings, similar to tennis or darts.
When will the matches be played? With eight group stage matchdays instead of six, more game dates will be available. Previously, the group stage ended in December, but now it will extend into January. The matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 18:45 and 21:00. There are two exceptions: some matches on the first matchday will be played on a Thursday because the Europa League and Conference League are yet to begin. On the last matchday, all 18 matches will begin simultaneously. The organizers of DAZN's conference will undoubtedly be delighted. DAZN and Amazon Prime will continue to broadcast the Champions League in Germany, with only the final being shown on ZDF.
- 1st matchday: 17/18/19 September 2024
- 2nd matchday: 1/2 October 2024
- 3rd matchday: 22/23 October 2024
- 4th matchday: 5/6 November 2024
- 5th matchday: 26/27 November 2024
- 6th matchday: 10/11 December 2024
- 7th matchday: 21/22 January 2025
- 8th matchday: 29 January 2025
- Knockout round playoffs: 11/12 and 18/19 February 2025
- Round of 16: 4/5 and 11/12 March 2025
- Quarterfinals: 8/9 and 15/16 April 2025
- Semifinals: 29/30 April and 6/7 May 2025
- Final: 31 May 2025 in Munich
How will the Europa League and Conference League operate? Essentially, the same. The Europa League, featuring German teams Frankfurt and Hoffenheim, will mirror the format of the Champions League. However, the Conference League will still have only six group stage matches. The 36 teams will be divided into six groups of six teams each. If 1. FC Heidenheim qualifies for the group stage by winning the playoff against BK Häcken tonight, they will be in Pot 2 and drawn against one team from each pot. They will play three home games and three away games.
Will there be relegation from the Europa League and Conference League once again? No. Eliminated teams will be removed from the competition. This applies to both the Champions League and the Europa League.
Who will take home the Champions League title? The AI-powered supercomputer can't predict that.
The new format of the Champions League draw is utilizing an AI-powered supercomputer from a London-based company, which aims to complete the task in just 35 minutes, significantly faster than the traditional hand-drawn method. Despite the revamped draw procedure, the excitement of seeing top teams like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig in the group stage remains.
Soccer enthusiasts from Germany will be thrilled to see their favorite teams, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, and RB Leipzig, compete in the elite stage of international soccer in this new version of the Champions League.
