Six Champions League matches will be played on Thursday! And it’s not just the large number of participants
Kirill Zakatchenko September 19, 2024, 08:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Golovin will play against Barça in the Champions League on an atypical day.
We’ve been waiting! On September 17, the first edition of the Champions League in the new format began. There are more teams (36 instead of 32) and, consequently, more matches. You may have noticed that this week the Champions League matches are spread over three days instead of the usual two.
Let’s take a look at the new Champions League format:
All about the new Champions League format. There won’t be a Swiss system after all.
Why will Champions League matches be played on Thursday?
UEFA has confirmed that each of the three European Cups will have an exclusive week this season. During this week, matches from only one of the tournaments will be played. The Champions League exclusive week is scheduled for the period from 17 to 19 September. That means we will see the matches from this tournament, and the Europa League and Conference League participants will start later. According to UEFA, this change should focus fans’ attention on the second and third European Cups. For example, in previous seasons, viewers watched Champions League matches on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then followed Europa League and Conference League matches less closely on Thursday. In connection with the exclusive week, UEFA has spread 18 Champions League matches over three days.
Champions League matches to be played today, September 19
Red Star – Benfica Feyenoord – Bayer Brest – Sturm Atalanta – Arsenal Monaco – Barcelona Atlético – RB Leipzig.
Arsenal are one of the Champions League clubs that will play on Thursday
Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
When will other tournaments have exclusive weeks?
We have already written about the Champions League above. Next week will be exclusively for the Europa League. The matches will be played on 25 and 26 September (Wednesday and Thursday). So next week we will only have matches from the second most important European Cup. As for the exclusive week for the Conference League, it is scheduled for December. The matches will take place on the 19th. It is true that, despite the absence of European Cups, all the matches will be held on the same day and at the same time. The fact is that this will be the final round of the Conference League group stage (there will be six, not eight).
Meanwhile, footballers complain about the overloaded schedule:
“FIFA and UEFA don’t care, they only care about money!” Players are ready to sue over the calendar.
Will there be matches from other Champions League rounds on Thursday?
No. With the exception of the exclusive weeks, everything else will be as usual. Champions League matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Europa League and Conference League matches will be played on Thursdays. Some Europa League matches will be moved to Wednesdays to avoid clubs from the same city playing on the same day.
champions league
1st round. September 17-19, 2nd round. October 1-2, 3rd round. October 22-23, 4th round. Round 5 and 6 November. November 26-27, 6th round. December 10-11, 7th round. January 21-22, 2025 8th round. January 29, 2025.
european league
1st round. September 25-26, 2nd round. October 33, 23-24, 4th round. November 6-7, 5th round. November 28, 6th round. December 11-12, 7th round. January 21-23, 2025 8th round. January 30, 2025.
Conference League
1st round. October 2-3, 2nd round. October 24, 3rd round. November 7, 4th round. November 27-28, 5th round. December 12, 6th round. December 19.
