The Champions League and Europa League have replaced the familiar group stage with a new 'league phase'
The Champions League trophy(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Champions League returned last week as the starter's gun was sounded on UEFA's 2024/25 club competitions.
As is often the case, Real Madrid are favourites to defend their crown this season, but the tournament, plus the Europa League and the Conference League have all undergone a huge change this year. For a start, each competition has been expanded to 36 teams and gone is the familiar group stage, replaced by a new 'league phase' that sees all clubs put together into a single league.
Ahead of the Europa League first round of fixtures, Champions League fans have voted with their feet over the new league phase
The Europa League kicks off this week (Image credit: Getty Images)
UEFA have argued that the new format will 'introduce a better competitive balance between all the teams', citing the fact that after the top eight automatically qualify for the knockout stage, teams who finish between ninth and 24th in the table will take part in play-offs to earn a last-16 place.
Cynics will point to the fact that more matches means more money for the UEFA coffers, but what have fans made of the changes so far, with the Europa League about to also get underway?
Manchester City kicked off their Champions League campaign last week (Image credit: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Well, according to a study from AceOdds, matchgoing fans have voted with their feet and given the new format the thumbs down.
They reveal that average attendances in matchday one are down by 17 per cent on last year. The average attendance for the first round of games 12 months ago was 47,954, whereas last week's average was 40,291.
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The biggest drops in attendance came at Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, two of the tournament's biggest clubs. Only 39,951 fans watched PSG edge past Girona at the Parc des Princes last week, which was significantly down on the 47,379 who saw the host Borussia Dortmund a year earlier.
It was a similar case in Milan, where 59,826 were at the San Siro to see their team lose 3-1 to Liverpool, down from the 65,695 who attended the goalless draw against Newcastle United last season.
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In fact, just two clubs saw attendances rise, with Manchester City and Real Madrid bringing in more fans than they did at the start of last year's competition.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, we can't say we're surprised. This format change has been done to satisfy the money men and increase TV revenues, with matchgoing fans again near the bottom of the rung when it comes to the authorities priorities.
The current economic climate means that fans are being stretched, so it is no surprise that the addition of extra fixtures to an already-packed calendar has brought about lower attendances.
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For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
