da lvbet： The new format could play host to a string of lesser-known continental teams in 2024-25 if current league positions hold
da aviator aposta： One of the most common critiques of the new-look Champions League is that it will lead to an even more predictable competition, which the continent's wealthier teams will continue to dominate. Those cynics likely have a point, too.
The new 'Swiss Model' will indeed increase the safety nets available for bigger teams who slip up during their eight group games next season, with those who finish as low as 24th still permitted to enter a play-off round and potentially progress to the knockout stages.
Saying that, the big dogs are not getting everything their own way under the new format. Plans to reserve several places in the competition based on previous European performance were scrapped following significant backlash and, unlike the proposed Super League, every club still has to 'earn' their right to play in the competition each year – even if the qualification parameters are far from perfect.
This is an inconvenient truth that many top clubs are discovering to their peril this season. Across Europe, this has been the year of the underdog, with a string of upstarts looking poised to beat off competition from some far more established names and book their place in the Champions League…
Getty ImagesAston Villa
It might seem strange to place a former European Cup winner in a list of relative minnows, but Villa haven't played in the continent's premier club competition since they lifted the trophy for the only time in 1983.
Unai Emery deserves a lion's share of the credit for bringing the glory days back to the west Midlands. Since taking over in October 2022, he's cleaned up the mess left by Steven Gerrard and propelled the Villans up the table.
After clinching a Europa Conference League spot last season, Emery's side have stepped things up a gear this term and look certain to finish in the top five. There has been considerable investment in the team, of course, but considering Villa are set to edge out the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to a Champions League spot, their achievements still deserve to garner plenty of attention.
Current position: 4th
AdvertisementGetty ImagesBologna
There's a reason Bologna manager Thiago Motta is being linked with some of the biggest jobs in Europe. This season, the former Paris Saint-Germain youth coach – who once broke the internet with his sweeping plans for a 2-7-2 formation – has achieved well above expectations in Serie A.
Bologna currently sit in the final guaranteed Champions League qualification spot with a healthy buffer to fifth-placed Roma. And even if the Giallorossi do catch them up, fifth is likely to be enough for Champions League progression in Italy this season due to the new qualifying rules. That is great news for Bologna, who have only played in the European Cup on one occasion – and that was all the way back in 1964.
Whether Motta will be leading them out for these games remains to be seen. Since he took charge of the perennial mid-table dwellers, Bologna have become one of the most tactically interesting teams in Europe. Their star players include former Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee and exciting Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, who surprisingly joined from Aberdeen in 2022.
Current position: 4th
GettyGirona
A lot has been written about Girona's unlikely La Liga title push this season. For some, their emergence as genuine contenders was an uplifting reminder of football's unpredictability. But for others, Girona were simply a pawn of the City Football Group, being used to consolidate their hegemony over world football.
As with a lot of things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. While it's true that the Girona story does not happen without CFG's backing – with the complicated Savio ownership situation a particularly modern, and likely pernicious, phenomenon – there is still plenty of smile-inducing aspects to this tale.
After an acrimonious exit from boyhood club Ajax, Daley Blind has found a new lease of life at the Spanish minnows, while the free-scoring Artem Dovbyk is proving his talent after being forced to depart Ukrainian side Dnipro-1. The title may be beyond their grasp now, with Real Madrid looking all but certain to finish top of the pile, but it will be fascinating to see how Girona get on in Europe next season.
Current position: 3rd
(C)GettyImagesStuttgart
Serhou Guirassy attracted headlines after scoring 10 goals in the first five games of Stuttgart's season, though few expected Die Schwaben to use it as a springboard to return to the Champions League. However, as we enter the closing stages of the Bundesliga campaign, Sebastian Hoeness' side are well on track for a top-four finish.
Stuttgart do have European pedigree, reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1989, as well as winning the Bundesliga back in 2007, but they've fallen on hard times more recently and were even plunged into a relegation play-off with Hamburg last season. But having won that tie 6-1, they haven't looked back.
Even with Guirassy missing a portion of the campaign through injury and AFCON duty, they have consistently remained in the top four all year, with Deniz Undav and Chris Fuhrich also enjoying great seasons. Provided they can keep hold of Hoeness – who is attracting interest from Bayern Munich – there's nothing to stop them putting up a good fight in the Champions League next term.
Current position: 3rd