Real Madrid’s victory in the UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund not only secured their place in next season’s competition but also had implications for other clubs. Madrid’s win meant that Shakhtar Donetsk, the winner of the Ukraine Premier League, would receive an upgrade and guaranteed share of the Champions League prize money. On the other hand, Dortmund’s defeat meant that they would qualify for the Champions League as the fifth-place team in the Bundesliga, while Eintracht Frankfurt, who would have qualified if Dortmund had won, will now enter the Europa League.
The Champions League lineup for next season is starting to take shape, with 29 of the 36 direct qualifiers now known. Among the new entrants are teams like Girona of Spain and Brest of France, as well as clubs like Aston Villa and Bologna who have not participated in the competition for decades. These teams, along with others with little recent track record in European competitions, will come out of the low-ranked seeding pot for the draw on August 29 in Monaco.
The upcoming Champions League season will feature a new league phase, replacing the traditional group stage, which guarantees each team eight games against eight different opponents. This format was agreed upon three years ago under pressure from the European Club Association, which was influenced by clubs like Juventus, Real Madrid, and Barcelona who were seeking more games and a wider range of opponents. Despite these concessions, these clubs attempted to launch a breakaway Super League in 2021, which ultimately failed due to backlash from fans and threats of legislation.
The remaining seven places in the Champions League lineup will go to domestic champions who advance through the qualifying rounds, as well as runners-up, third- or fourth-place teams from high-ranking leagues. Qualifiers could include teams like Galatasaray, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Salzburg, and Young Boys. The prize money for the 38 teams in the competition will be shared from a UEFA fund of about 2.44 billion euros ($2.65 billion), with the eventual champion expected to earn at least 150 million euros ($163 million) and each team guaranteed about 20 million euros ($21.7 million) even if they lose all eight games.
In conclusion, Real Madrid’s victory in the Champions League final had far-reaching implications for other clubs, with Shakhtar Donetsk benefitting from Madrid’s win and Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt facing different outcomes as a result. The upcoming Champions League season will feature new entrants alongside familiar names, with some teams returning to the competition after decades of absence. The new league phase format promises more games and a broader range of opponents, reflecting the evolving landscape of European football competitions. Despite challenges and attempts to disrupt the competition, the Champions League remains a highly anticipated and prestigious tournament with significant prize money at stake for participating teams.
