The current Champions League Format

[LaudrupFan]

I was watching a repeat of Olyimpiakos-Lyon on Eurosport and the commentator mentiond Carew and Valencia's run to the Cl final in 01, he brought up the "Cumbersome" Double group stage format and said how the new format is much preffered by everyone but I hate it. Much loike the World cup it undermines the Quaterfinals leads to many pointless Knockout games.

I find that the games don't mean as much as they did previously, looking at the QFs of previous compared the qfs since the new format they seemed bigger and to mean more. The World Cup has felt the same after it changed to 32 teams, the knockout stages feel pointless and repetitive until the Quaterfinals.

The easiest solution is a reduction in teams but that isn't going to happen. I thought a good format is start with 8 group stages with only the winner progressing form each going onto two Groups were the top two go to play a two legged semi-final then a final. Any thoughts?

[Borruma]

No, no, no. The second group stage was boring, filled with boring games with boring teams always advancing. Thank god they got rid of that - the only thing UEFA has done right in the past decade or so. I've enjoyed the past two CL's more than the two before that which suffered from being too big.

And now they should let the CL be for Champions only and be a pure knockout comp too. Like that's going to happen. :rolleyes:

[dor02]

The second group stage made the competition much longer and it made it a bit draining. The more knockout matches, the better. That is where the drama is and that's when the quality players shine, not the amateurs. With the current format, you can appreciate watching the matches more because it wouldn't feel like that they occur on too many occassions. Not only that, you have to feel for the players. By having less group matches, they can play better during the knockout matches. They don't need to be worn out by playing the extra and unneccessary group matches.

[BSjanitor]

Two group stages makes clubs with deep pockets, I mean rosters, like Milan or Real Madrid triumph over clubs with good starting teams like Lyon, Liverpool, or PSV. The way it is currently is much better. Plus, it's more like an euro cup or world cup. You play the groups (qualifying) in the autumn and the playoffs (finals) in spring. Before the change, the second group stage was interrupted for winter. Gotta love the unpredictability, too.

I also like how they scheduled the playoff matches on back-to-back weeks this season. That makes it less likely that a team will be upset too badly in their national league or lose players to injury or get injured players back between the first and second leg. It's more consistent.

[ENZO!82]

i don't like this format and nor the format with 2 phases of round robin of group 2 stages...i'd like to watch a UCL with 24 instead of 32 teams and with a new format of groups stage 1st phase or regular season like 4 groups composed by 6 teams each group with 10 matchs and play off between the best 8 teams with quarter-finals (home and away); semifinals (home and away) and final .
This league could join the winner of Uefa Cup also how it already happen in ULEB Competitions.

[Alex_K]

Much loike the World cup it undermines the Quaterfinals leads to many pointless Knockout games.

Pointless knock-out games? As opposed to exciting (read sarcastically) group stage games? How exactly can a "you win or you are out" knock-out game be pointless?

The World Cup has felt the same after it changed to 32 teams, the knockout stages feel pointless and repetitive until the Quaterfinals.

Um, there is exactly ONE knock-out stage before the quarterfinal. Which means the World Cup has the same number of knock-out games like he had when it was a 24 teams competition.