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Liverpool Goalkeeper Criticizes UEFA Champions League Format

Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker has expressed his frustration over the lack of player input regarding the growing number of matches, ahead of his team’s UEFA Champions League opener against AC Milan.

In a pre-match press conference, Alisson said, “Sometimes, no one asks the players for their opinion on the increasing number of matches.”

He added, “Maybe our opinion isn’t important, but everyone knows how we feel about this. Everyone is tired.”

Under the newly introduced Champions League format, each team will play a minimum of eight matches in the group stage, compared to six in the previous structure.

Further changes loom as FIFA plans to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams, set to take place from mid-June to mid-July.

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) announced in July that it intends to file a complaint with the European Union’s antitrust authorities over FIFA’s scheduling.

Alisson stressed the need for dialogue, saying, “We understand the media and television demands, and the roles of UEFA, FIFA, the Premier League, and local competitions. But the most reasonable thing would be for all the parties involved to sit together and listen to everyone, including the players.”

Liverpool could end up playing over 60 matches this season, having already played 58 last season. Alisson himself featured in more than 40 games for both club and country in the 2023-2024 season.

While the UEFA Champions League remains the world’s most prestigious club competition, this season’s structural overhaul has left some fans confused.

Since its inception as the European Cup in 1955, and its rebranding to the UEFA Champions League in 1992, UEFA has consistently adapted the format to reflect the changing landscape of football.

This season marks the start of a new era, with an expanded tournament featuring 36 teams instead of 32. Each team will now play eight matches—four home and four away—against different opponents in a single group format.

According to UEFA’s official website, the new structure was developed in consultation with key stakeholders in European football to benefit clubs, players, and fans alike.

The final format and match calendar were approved on May 10, 2022, following UEFA’s decision to overhaul the competition on April 19, 2021.

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