Sports

Champions League: A Guide to the 2024/25 Revamp

Published

4 months ago

August 25, 2024

Admin

The UEFA Champions League is set to undergo its most significant transformation in over three decades, with a series of major changes coming into effect for the 2024/25 season. These alterations, designed to modernize and intensify Europe’s premier club competition, will see the number of matches surge from 125 to 189, bringing a fresh dynamic to the tournament.

Here’s everything you need to know about the revamped format.

Expansion and Scheduling Overhaul

One of the biggest changes is the expansion from 32 to 36 teams. This increase accompanies a shift from the traditional group stage format to a single league phase, where all participating teams will compete in a unified table. Each club is now guaranteed a minimum of eight matches against eight different opponents, a notable increase from the previous six matches against three teams.

The revamped schedule also means the league phase will extend into late January, compared to the previous mid-December conclusion. To accommodate the expanded format, UEFA has introduced exclusive weeks dedicated solely to Champions League fixtures, ensuring that no other European competitions will clash with these dates. Matches will now be spread across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, adding a new rhythm to the football calendar.

New Format Details

The shift to a league-based format fundamentally changes how teams progress through the tournament. The top eight teams in the league will automatically qualify for the knockout stages. Teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will enter a two-legged play-off, battling for the remaining spots in the Round of 16. Those finishing 25th to 36th will be eliminated from all European competitions for the season.

This new format significantly increases the level of competition, with more matches against a diverse range of opponents. The days of playing the same two teams home and away are gone, replaced by a more varied and unpredictable group of fixtures.

Draw Process and Fixture Release

The draw for the league phase will take place on August 29, 2024, and will involve a combination of manual and automated processes. Initially, all 36 teams will be manually drawn, followed by an automated draw to assign each team its eight opponents, with the fixtures then being scheduled as either home or away.

The final fixture list will be published on August 31, 2024, providing fans with the complete schedule for their teams’ matches throughout the league phase. Importantly, clubs will not face opponents from their own country and can play a maximum of two teams from the same nation during this stage.

Participants and Seedings

For the first time since 1992, the Champions League is introducing such a comprehensive overhaul. Italy and Germany have been the big beneficiaries of the expansion, each gaining an extra spot in the competition based on their teams’ performances in European competitions. This means at least ten teams from these two countries will be part of the 36 clubs competing in the league phase.

Teams will be seeded into four pots based on their UEFA coefficients, ensuring a balanced and competitive draw. High-profile clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich are expected to feature in Pot 1, while Pot 2 will include strong contenders like Arsenal and Juventus. The pots will progressively include teams with lower coefficients, creating a mix of established giants and rising challengers.

Timeline of Key Dates

The league phase kicks off on September 17-19, 2024, with subsequent matchdays spread out until January 29, 2025. The knockout play-offs will take place in February, followed by the Round of 16 in March. The competition will culminate with the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31, 2025.

Changes Beyond the Champions League

The UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League will also see format changes, aligning them more closely with the new Champions League structure. Both competitions will feature 36 teams in the league phase, with the Europa League teams playing eight matches and the Conference League teams playing six.

These adjustments mark a significant evolution in UEFA’s club competitions, promising more excitement, more matches, and a more competitive environment across the board. The 2024/25 season is set to be a landmark in European football, redefining the way we experience the Champions League and its sister tournaments.

Sports

CAF Awards 2024: Full List of Winners

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie emerged as some of the standout winners at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.

Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, clinched the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year title, beating contenders such as Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy.

South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams dominated the night, bagging both the Men’s Interclub Player of the Year and the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards.

Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, known for her stellar performances, was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Full List of CAF Awards 2024 Winners
CAF Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe
Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly FC
Men’s National Team of the Year: Ivory Coast
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi
Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Faé
Goal of the Year: Mabululu (Angola)

Sports

Ronaldo To Contest Brazilian Football Federation Presidency

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed he wants to become president of the country’s football governing body to address a “deep crisis” the sport is facing nationally.

“I have hundreds of motivations, but I think the biggest of them is really to restore international respect to Brazilian football,” he said in an interview on Monday with the Globoesporte website.

Ronaldo said he wanted to be an “alternative for significant change” as candidate for the job of running the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

“O Fenomeno” (“The Phenomenon”), as the 48-year-old became known over the course of his 1993-2011 career, said he wants to use the CBF presidency to help Brazil’s national team to regain its glory as five-time world champions.

“The Selecao has to recover its prestige. I’ll do everything so that the players understand the historic importance of playing for the national team,” he said.

Ronaldo scored both goals when Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, and was twice winner of the Ballon d’Or.

To lodge his CBF candidacy, he needs the support of Brazilian regional clubs and federations.

To get those, he promised to travel “all around Brazil” and share the “incredible plans” he has for the sport.

The date of the next CBF election has not yet been set, but should happen between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Brazilian media.

‘Much deeper problem’

Current CBF chief Ednaldo Rodrigues has been criticized for slotting in temporary coaches for the national team after Tite’s 2022 exit while waiting for Carlo Ancelotti to arrive — something that did not happen when the Italian decided late last year to extend his contract as manager of Real Madrid.

Currently coached by Dorival Junior, the Selecao are fifth in South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup tournament, seven points behind leaders Argentina.

“My problem is not Ednaldo. The problem is much deeper. My goal is to bring the people closer to the Selecao. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays,” Ronaldo told Globoesporte.

“I am an alternative of significant change for Brazilian football, which is going through a deep crisis,” he said.

Ronaldo, a former star for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, already has leadership experience.

In 2018, he took majority control of Spain’s Real Valladolid, and in 2021 did the same for Cruzeiro, the Brazilian club where he started his career.

He sold his Cruzeiro stake in April this year.

In his interview, Ronaldo said he was in talks to “very soon” sell his Valladolid stake to avoid “any obstacle” to his CBF candidacy.

AFP

Sports

Alejandro Garnacho’s bicycle kick wins 2024 FIFA Puskás Award

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Alejandro Garnacho’s breathtaking bicycle kick against Everton has officially been crowned the 2024 FIFA Puskás Award winner, recognising the most spectacular goal of the year.

The Manchester United forward’s acrobatic effort, which left fans and pundits in awe, has etched his name into football history.

A Premier League video statement and announcement revealed this on Tuesday night.

The Manchester United winger’s breathtaking bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023 has now earned global recognition, solidifying its place in football history.

A club statement obtained from its website also disclosed this.

The announcement was made by football legend Alessandro Del Piero at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

Garnacho’s stunning strike, which had already claimed Manchester United’s Goal of the Season and the Premier League’s Goal of the Season for 2023/24, has now been deemed the very best in the world during the August 2023 to August 2024 qualifying period.

Reflecting on the incredible goal, Manchester United praised Garnacho’s moment of magic:

“Our no.17’s goal was simply stunning, as he somehow contorted his body to connect with Diogo Dalot’s cross in the early stages of our meeting with the Merseysiders.

The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect, leaving Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford helpless and all those in attendance – and watching on screens further afield – open-mouthed at the sheer brilliance of what they’d just witnessed.”

Garnacho’s achievement carries historic weight for the club. He becomes only the second Manchester United player to win the prestigious Puskás Award, following in the footsteps of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.

United’s former iconic no.7 was the first-ever recipient of the award in 2009 for his long-range strike against Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Manchester United celebrated the milestone, emphasizing the caliber of past winners:

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Mohamed Salah, and Son Heung-min are among the iconic names to have followed in Ronaldo’s footsteps in the intervening years, although there have been some less-heralded winners, given the award’s nature, as it encompasses all levels of senior football.”

The voting process for the award was a combination of fan participation and deliberation by a panel of FIFA legends. Garnacho’s strike ultimately rose above 10 other nominated goals to claim the accolade, a testament to its technical brilliance and the moment’s significance.

The club concluded their statement with a message of pride and gratitude:

“Well done to our no.17 and thanks to all those who supported him. It’s a goal that we’ll cherish for years to come.”

For Garnacho, this recognition is not just a personal triumph but a moment of inspiration for Manchester United fans worldwide, celebrating what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable goals in recent football history.