The reverberations of the previous final have faded away but it is already a matter of uttermost expectation on the continent as to what will be happening. The UEFA Champions League has now become more of an advancing monster, than a competition. And with one eye on the 2025-26 season we see not just another one year of football, but a brave new world of new formats, new heroes, and promising futures to our own.
Índice
Why then is this season different? Okay, why don t we jump in.
â–¶ The “Swiss Model” Fully Unleashed
Put all you knew about traditional group stage aside. The 36-team gimmick of the so called league phase is here to stay and already by the 2025-26 season it will hold all its peculiarities and tactics. We are not dealing with small, isolated groups anymore, we have a single league table that is colossal. All the clubs have eight matches with eight others (four at home, four away), and are drawn in a seeded draw of the Champions League.
The best eight are taken directly to the Round of 16. The knockout play-off involving teams in 9th to 24th positions is very interesting; it is a savage, high stakes shoot out to qualify third in the last sixteen. Confusing? Perhaps initially but the drama cannot be doubted. That is every point, every goal matters insanely until the last matchday.
â–¶ Mark Your Calendars: The Road to Budapest
Although the complete Champions League calendar 2025 will be announced once the previous season is over, the pace is known. It starts with the qualifying rounds in the summer 2025, a marathon that Irish champions will enter in once again. And what matters most of all is that the league phase will start in September 2025.
Where to? The Champions League final Budapest is at the fantastic Puskas Arsena and all roads should lead there. The city of Budapest which was the host to an excellent Europa League final just recently is more than prepared. The electric atmosphere in that 67,000 seater cauldron will be electric. To the two teams which reach the Final it will signify something new in the annals of a tiring campaign. It is exciting, and we must say we are excited to get a final in such an iconic, modern stadium.
â–¶ The Irish Connection: Our Stars on the Biggest Stage
But what is it all to us here in Ireland? As usual we shall be looking at the Irish players in the Champions League. Examples such as Evan Ferguson, in case Brighton can survive in European competitions or he transfers to a giant team, will be in focus. Will he be the first Irishman since John O Shea to hoist that famous trophy? Then there is Caoimh Colin Kelleher and his future with Liverpool or a new club will be followed with bated breath. This is the torch-bearer crop of new generation players and their acts on Tuesday and Wednesday night will be leading news. The vision, as ever, is still the visualisation of one of the League of Ireland teams making it to the league badge.
â–¶ Statistics, Trends, and Betting Insights
This new format is gold mine analytically. The Champions League statistics are increasingly becoming important. Teams are playing more opponents with more varied quality, which means Expected Goals and defensive actions, along with ball progression numbers will provide a better idea of how strong a team really was rather than the old group stage ever did.
This, needless to say, has an enormous knock on effect on Champions League betting. The old way of having a group market system (group winner) has disappeared. Instead we will have more active betting on teams to make the top 8, to qualify through play-offs or on the total number of points accrued. Analysis of such experts indicates that in this type of soccer, teams can no longer have their slow starts; losing points early in the matches against another seemingly weaker seed could be disastrous. It is a mouth-watering prospect to both the pundits and the punters.
- The Glorious Continental Kerfuffle: A Gander at 2025-26 - setembro 9, 2025
- Right, Let’s Talk German Football - setembro 8, 2025
- A Proper Italian Hooley for 2025-26 - setembro 3, 2025
Portuguese
English 
Turkish 
Spanish