File image of Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas Costa.© X (Twitter)

Holders Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s final in the league stage of the new-look Champions League, the draw for which took place on Thursday. Every team will play eight games against eight different opponents in the new format of Europe’s elite club competition, with all 36 clubs now pooled together into one league rather than split into groups. Madrid, who have signed France superstar Kylian Mbappe since winning a record-extending 15th European Cup, will also notably play AC Milan at home and will go to Atalanta.

Real beat last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw earlier this month.

Liverpool, who are back in the Champions League after a one-season absence, will also notably meet Milan and take on tournament debutants Girona.

However, supporters of the Anfield club will perhaps be most excited about the prospect of hosting German champions Bayer Leverkusen, coached by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, winners of the competition in 2023, will play at home to Italian champions Inter Milan and go to both Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

However, they were also handed more comfortable opponents including Club Brugge, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava, who have never played in the modern Champions League proper.

Other standout head-to-heads will include Bayern Munich against both PSG and Barcelona, and Arsenal against Inter and Paris.

The number of clubs in the Champions League has increased from 32 in the past, with the 36 participants split into four seeded pots of nine for the draw.

Every team faces two teams from each of the four pots, one at home and one away. The first matches will be played on September 17, 18 and 19.

The two extra matchdays in the new league phase will take place in January, at the end of which the top eight clubs in the 36-team classification will advance directly to the last 16.

Those ranked between ninth and 24th place will go through to play a play-off round from which will emerge the remaining eight sides advancing to the last 16.

The bottom 12 in the league phase will be eliminated altogether, with no clubs parachuting down into the Europa League as in the past.

The Europa League and third-tier Conference League, the draws for which take place on Friday, will also now feature 36 clubs, although the latter competition will involve only six matchdays in the league phase.

File image of UEFA Champions League trophy.© AFP

A new era in European club football begins on Thursday when the draw takes place in Monaco for an expanded UEFA Champions League featuring a radically changed format. European football’s governing body is selling what it describes as “a thrilling new future” for the game on the continent with more teams playing more matches, and more prize money on offer. UEFA needs to generate hype around the new format, because there is a risk — in the beginning at least — that fans will find it confusing compared to the old model.

For the last 21 years, the Champions League had consisted of a group stage in which 32 clubs were split into eight groups of four, each playing six games. The top two in each group qualified for the knockout phase.

The new version will feature 36 clubs with everyone playing eight matches, but all teams pooled together into one giant league rather than in groups.

Clubs will still be split into four seeded pots of nine teams, with every participant given two opponents from each pot.

The top eight in the final ranking go through to the last 16, while the next 16 sides advance to an intermediate play-off round and the remainder go out.

The new format was introduced against the backdrop of the threat by Europe’s biggest clubs to break away and form their own Super League.

But UEFA are also hoping the format can be a solution to the problem of competitive imbalance in the sport which was making the group stage more predictable.

“The new format will introduce a better competitive balance between all the teams, with the possibility for each team to play opponents of a similar competitive level throughout the league phase,” UEFA say.

Financial rewards

What the changes will certainly not address are concerns about too much football being played and damaging the quality as a result.

The increasing demands on players, and the lack of rest as a result, were cited as reasons why many matches at Euro 2024 proved disappointing.

The new Champions League, in a season which is also set to finish with the first expanded version of FIFA’s Club World Cup, will feature a total of 144 games in the group stage, up from 96 before.

The financial rewards are greater, however, with UEFA’s total prize pot for the Champions League rising by about 25 percent to almost 2.5 billion euros ($2.79 billion).

The winners of the competition can pocket over 86 million euros just in prize money, not including bonuses of 700,000 euros for every point gained in the league phase or income from television.

Real Madrid were the winners last season, raising the trophy for the sixth time in the last 11 years.

The addition of Kylian Mbappe to their squad means they will hope to go all the way again, and emerge victorious in the final in Munich on May 31, next year.

Newcomers

This season’s Champions League will include newcomers such as Girona from Spain, while Bologna of Italy take part in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 60 years.

Brest of France had never qualified for any European competition before, but now take part after finishing third in Ligue 1 last season — taking advantage of the extra place handed to France as the fifth-ranked league in Europe.

As for the other additional places, one goes to a national champion who will emerge from the qualifying rounds, while Italy and Germany get an extra team each because of the performances of their clubs in Europe last season.

UEFA said the draw itself will be a “hybrid” affair, between the manual drawing of balls and the use of software, having calculated that doing it all by hand would take more than three hours.

The Europa League and Conference League, the draws for which will both take place on Friday, will also now feature 36 teams, although there will be only six matches for clubs in the league phase of the latter competition.

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane received the Golden Shoe award as the highest goalscorer in a European football league at a ceremony in the Bavarian capital on Tuesday. Kane scored 36 goals during the previous Bundesliga season, more than any other player in Europe. Despite being the top Premier League scorer three times, Kane had never won the award. “It’s a fantastic feeling,” Kane said.” “The award is for everyone. Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here today.

“I feel good and am looking forward to the new season. I feel a new energy.

“I’m very proud to receive this award.”

The prize was the latest won by the striker in a long list of personal awards, but Kane is still yet to win a team title in his career. 

Kane went trophyless in his debut year in Munich, the first time Bayern finished a season without silverware since 2012. 

He told reporters “I want to continue on as I started last season, but it is important to win titles. We want to achieve success as a team.”

Kane’s tally of 36 goals in 32 Bayern appearances is just five shy of the single-season record held by former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski of 41.

The forward said Lewandowski’s record was too far off to consider now. 

“Once we get to April and we’re a little bit closer, maybe it’s something we can talk about, but for now it’s just taking it game by game, trying to help the team by scoring goals.

“But also if we’re winning and I’m not scoring goals I’m not going to worry.”

This season’s Champions League final will be held in Munich and Kane told reporters “we have to be there”.

The England captain was handed the award by Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, who praised Kane’s character since making the move to Munich one season ago.

Created in the 1967-68 season, the Golden Shoe was formerly awarded to the top scorer in any European league, but in 1997 was changed to use a ranking system which favours players in higher-ranked leagues. 

With six wins, Lionel Messi has received the award more than anyone else. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland have previously won the award. 

“It is something special that I am now mentioned in the same breath as these names,” Kane said.

Harry Kane helped drag Bayern Munich to a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Wolfsburg on Sunday in new manager Vincent Kompany‘s Bundesliga debut. Jamal Musiala put Bayern 1-0 up after 19 minutes but Wolfsburg took the lead with two Lovro Majer goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Bayern were nervy, with Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side pouncing on several defensive errors. A Kane header forced Wolfsburg’s Jakub Kaminski into an own goal after 65 minutes and the England captain set up Bayern’s third, laying on a pass for Serge Gnabry‘s 82nd-minute strike.

“It’s not perfect yet”, Kane told Bayern TV after the match, saying his side “got punished a little” in the second-half.

“We’re still obviously implementing some of the ideas of the coach.

“Obviously, the team is a lot stronger than this. I’m happy we’ve got a good week to work now, to get to work on the ideas the coach wants.”

Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich echoed Kane’s sentiments on network DAZN, saying “we lost control of the game due to many mistakes”, adding they “reacted well” when they fell 2-1 behind.

With 20 minutes gone, Kane, starting his first match since the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, found Sacha Boey on the right flank. 

The French defender dribbled past two Wolfsburg defenders and cut the ball across for Musiala, who tapped home to open the scoring. 

Musiala has six goals in eight games against Wolfsburg, more than any other side. 

Cool Majer

Wolfsburg were lucky to get away with what appeared to be a handball in the box 10 minutes later, with Kane shown a yellow card for remonstrating with the referee. 

Bystanders in the first-half, Wolfsburg burst into life early in the second, grabbing the lead inside the first 10 minutes.

Boey, who was making just his second start for Bayern since joining in January, went from hero to villain just a minute after the break, bringing down Tiago Tomas in the box.

Majer coolly slotted home, sending Manuel Neuer the wrong way.

The Croatia midfielder hit the post with Neuer flatfooted just a minute later but did not need to wait long for another opportunity, his 55th-minute goal putting Wolfsburg in front. 

Patrick Wimmer pressed Kim Min-jae into a mistake, collected possession and advanced on goal, drawing Neuer and laying off for Majer to score. 

Kane was crucial in helping Bayern draw level after 65 minutes. The England captain headed a deflected Joshua Kimmich cross goalwards and the ball bounced in off Wolfsburg’s Kaminski.

Kane created Bayern’s winner with eight minutes remaining, finding Gnabry who booted home from close range.

Bundesliga winners in 2009, Wolfsburg have not beaten Bayern since 2015, a run of 21 matches.

Later on Sunday, promoted St Pauli host Heidenheim in the final match of the round.

File photo of Manuel Neuer.© AFP

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany on Saturday said he was not nervous ahead of his Bundesliga debut in the dugout for Sunday’s match at Wolfsburg. The 38-year-old Belgian was the surprise choice tasked with restoring Bayern Munich as the dominant force in German football, given he had just overseen Burnley being relegated from the Premier League last season. Bayern come into the season on the back of a first trophyless campaign in 11 years.

Their thunder had been stolen by Bayer Leverkusen, who were unbeaten as they sealed a domestic league and cup double.

Kompany, who cut his teeth prior to Burnley coaching Anderlecht and guiding them to the 2022 Belgian Cup final, said he was satisfied with the preparations ahead of Sunday’s match. 

“No, definitely not nervous, but that was always the way with me,” Kompany told reporters, adding “it’s a big challenge.” 

“We’ve prepared ourselves well with the team and the coaching staff, now it’s up to the players who will play tomorrow. I’m excited.”

Kompany, who as a player won four Premier League titles with Manchester City and was capped 89 times, said Leverkusen, who opened their campaign with victory on Friday, will be formidable rivals again.  

“Leverkusen were phenomenal last season,” said Kompany.

“I think you’ll need around 90 points for the title again, so we need the maximum performance from everyone.”

Kompany said Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha, who arrived from Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively in the close season, were in line to make their debuts against Wolfsburg. 

“There’s a good chance they’ll play a lot this season but I’ll keep my secrets until tomorrow.”

Wolfsburg have not beaten Bayern in 20 matches dating back to 2015.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, a 2014 World Cup winner, announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday at the age of 38. Bayern Munich veteran Neuer played 124 matches for Germany, captaining his country 61 times. His final appearance came in the quarter-final loss to eventual champions Spain at Euro 2024. Neuer wrote on social media that although he was tempted to play until the 2026 World Cup, he was “convinced that now is the right time to take this step”.

He shone at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was named as the tournament’s best goalkeeper as Germany won the trophy for the fourth time.

Known as the archetypal ‘sweeper-keeper’ of the modern era, Neuer revolutionised the position, often venturing far from his penalty box to snuff out attacks while possessing skills with his feet usually reserved for outfield players.

Neuer revealed he had made the announcement after discussions with his family, as well as a comprehensive conversation with Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Wednesday morning.

He said he planned to “concentrate fully” on playing for Bayern, with whom he has won two Champions Leagues and 11 Bundesliga titles.

This season’s Champions League final will take place at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident in December 2022 and only returned to the Germany squad just ahead of Euro 2024 on home soil, reclaiming his role as first choice.

He was criticised before Euro 2024 after a series of mistakes at club and international level, but impressed at the tournament.

“It was a great time which shaped me and of which I am very proud,” he said.

“Winning the World Cup title in 2014 and the special atmosphere during the European Championship at home this year are highlights for which I am extremely grateful.

“It was an honour for me to be captain of our national team until 2023. I loved wearing the Germany jersey.”

From 2010 until 2016, Neuer and Germany made it to the final four of every major tournament.

After disappointing group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and a last-16 elimination by England at Euro 2020, Germany won their first knockout match in eight years at Euro 2024.

Neuer follows fellow 2014 World Cup winners Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos, who both played at Euro 2024, into international retirement.

On Monday, current Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan, who missed the 2014 World Cup campaign through injury, also announced he had played his last game at international level.

A product of the Schalke academy in his home town of Gelsenkirchen, Neuer made his international debut in 2009 and has more caps than any other Germany goalkeeper.

Germany won 81 of the 124 matches Neuer played, and he kept 51 clean sheets.

The retirement clears the way for long-time back-up Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona, who is expected to take over from the Bayern captain as Germany’s number one.

Bayern Munich celebrate a goal vs Ulm in DFB Pokal.© X (Twitter)