"It’s very similar to the idea of our president" - Real Madrid star believes new UCL format is similar to Super League proposal

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Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes the new UEFA Champions League (UCL) format resembles the controversial European Super League proposal championed by the club’s president, Florentino Perez.

The revamped Champions League format, introduced in the 2024-2025 season, presents a “Swiss model” league stage, replacing the traditional group stage. This change saw 36 teams competing in a single league table, with each team playing eight matches against varied opponents, based on seeding.

Critics have drawn parallels between this approach and the objectives of the controversial Super League project. The Super League, which proposed a closed competition featuring Europe’s top clubs, was widely condemned for prioritizing commercial interests over sporting merit.

It faced fierce opposition from fans, governing bodies, and even players, leading to its collapse shortly after its announcement in April 2021.

Despite the backlash, Perez and several high-profile clubs maintained that football’s current economic model required reform. The Real Madrid president, a staunch advocate of the Super League, argued that the project aimed to secure financial stability and enhance the quality of matches for audiences worldwide.

Thibaut Courtois recently claimed that the new Champions League format resembles the Super League created by Perez. He said (via Madrid Xtra);

“New UCL format? I’m a fan. But I think it’s very similar to the idea of our president, it’s similar to the Super League.”

Meanwhile, Real Madrid CEO Jose Angel Sanchez hit out at UEFA last month, claiming the current administration of the football governing body is failing. Los Blancos are currently in the 20th position on the UCL table with two games left to play in the league phase of the competition.

''Nobody understands it'' – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez on the new format of the Champions League

While Courtois opined that the new Champions League format is similar to the Super League, Florentino Perez criticized the format for how it further congested the football calendar. In November 2024, the Real Madrid president lashed out at UEFA, claiming that the rise in the number of matches is taking a toll on players and increasing the rate of injuries.

He told Relevo:

"The format of the new Champions League is unfair and nobody understands it. The competition will only arouse the passion of fans at the end of the season and not from the beginning, as before. The overload of matches is taking its toll on the health of the players, something directly related to an alarming increase in injuries."
"UEFA and FIFA have added 14 matches. The consequence? We have already had a total of 22 physical mishaps and in the League there are nine cruciate ligament tears. Bellingham, at 21 years old, has played 251 games. At his age, Beckham had played 54."

Real Madrid are the most successful club in the Champions League history, having won the competition 15 times.