Start of the Champions League: New format, usual favorites

The Champions League started the 2024/2025 season this week with the first matchday and five German teams. What’s new, who are the favorites and where will the games be broadcast?

The new Champions League season begins this Tuesday – and from a German perspective, it’s going to be exciting. In the evening, FC Bayern Munich will kick off at home against Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart will face defending champions Real Madrid. Fans and clubs will have to adapt to a different format than they have been used to in recent years. Here are answers to the most important questions before the first matchday in Europe’s premier football class.

Instead of a group phase, the Champions League now has a league phase. Each of the 36 clubs – previously there were 32 – plays four times in their own stadium and four times away. The top eight teams in the table at the end of the league phase qualify directly for the round of 16. The clubs in positions 9 to 24 play in a new knockout round to advance. There is no longer a second chance in the European Cup with relegation to the Europa League – whoever is knocked out is really out for the season. From the round of 16 onwards, the premier class runs as usual, with knockout rounds with home and away matches – until the final on May 31 in Munich.

The favorites are the usual suspects. The bookmakers initially name Manchester City with coach Pep Guardiola and record champions Real Madrid. In the first season after Toni Kroos’ retirement, the Madrilenians are trying to win the Champions League or the former European Cup for the 16th time. Among the favorites is FC Bayern Munich, who last won the competition in 2020 under coach Hansi Flick. Speaking of Flick – the 59-year-old will lead FC Barcelona back to the top after a few disappointing seasons on the European stage. Arsenal FC with national player Kai Havertz is also expected to do well. For the club from London, it would be the first title in the premier class.

8th or 24th place should be the goal for Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. Since this is the first season in the new format, there is no experience to know roughly how many points the clubs need for this. Regardless of this, a march by BVB to the final – as in the last Champions League season – would be another sensation. With Real and Barcelona, ​​Borussia has two absolute heavyweights as opponents, but otherwise Dortmund have faced manageable opponents. Stuttgart, Leverkusen and Leipzig can also look forward to several top opponents. Compared to Dortmund, the three teams are likely to have a tougher program in front of them in terms of their names. However, at least 24th place and thus entry into the intermediate round should be possible for all German representatives.

The European Football Union UEFA is expecting a significant increase in revenue after the reform. The clubs participating in the Champions League and the Supercup are set to receive 2.47 billion euros. Critics fear that the large amount of money for the top class clubs will lead to a further significant distortion of competition in the national leagues. For participating in the league phase alone, each club will receive around 18.62 million euros, each win will bring 2.1 million euros, and each draw 700,000 euros. At the end of the league phase, the clubs will receive more money – how much depends on their placement. In the knockout phase, the teams can expect further income depending on their success. The clubs also receive money from UEFA, for example, through the sale of media rights.