GENEVA (AP) – A long-time newcomer and absentee development organization is giving the Champions League a new look this season.
Thursday’s list of 32 teams in the draw includes at least 3 beginner players at the organization and club level who had not qualified since the 1990s.
Most years, only one or two newbies sign up for players such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the biggest prize in foreign club football.
The list of new faces this time doesn’t even come with clubs that are temporarily moving to Europe’s most sensitive level: Atalanta quarter-finals in his debut last season, and Leipzig reached the semi-finals in his appearance at the moment.
The Champions League is less predictable and more open at a time when some historic clubs need to close the door to rivals outside the established order.
UEFA will soon reopen discussions on the reform of its club competitions, which will come into force in the 2024-25 season, with the stated aim of “keeping the dream alive” of the 55 member countries.
This season’s Champions League will put new dreamers in the spotlight.
Rennes
In the 66th season of a festival formerly known as the European Cup, Rennes will play its first match at this level.
Rennes seized his chance. A 3rd place in the French league, the most productive of all time, sealed an average of problems commensurate with the game when the season ended with 10 rounds to play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This earned Rennes a place in the Champions League qualifiers, having to beat two against parties to join the groups. Rennes was raised directly because the Europa League won through Sevilla, which has already qualified as a fourth-place Spanish team.
It’s a long-time eulogy for Rennes’ owner, who may be the richest entrepreneur on a Champions League team this season.
Francois Pinault is one of the 30 richest billionaires in the world ranked through Forbes magazine, well ahead of Roman Abramovich of Chelsea outdoors, the 100 most sensible.
Another prominent figure in Rennes is the midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, the French foreigner of Angolan origin who will be 18 years old in the organization phase.
ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR
Turkey’s new champion is arguably the least-known club in Thursday’s draw.
The team, now known as Istanbul Baak-ehir, was formed 30 years ago after the merger of 3 clubs, but did not take up their existing call-up until 2014, following their promotion to the most sensible league and their acquisition through Turkey’s Ministry of Sports.
Istanbul has fought for its popularity and a strong identity in a city with lasting and passionate rivalries between Galatasaray, Fenerbahca and Besikta. The team is suffering to fill its stadium with 17,000 seats away from the city center.
On the field, Baak-ehir was given the opportunity to sign foreign veterans with time spent in the 5 major European leagues: Martin Skrtel, Nacer Chadli and Demba Ba are on the existing list.
Ferencvaros
Ferencvaros returns to The Champions League level after a 25-year-old hole as Hungary’s top-ranked since Debrecen lost all six games in 2009.
After completing 4 qualifying rounds, Ferencváros will be the team with the lowest ranking in the draw: the number 135 in the UEFA ranking calculated through the European effects of the past seasons.
A big credit goes to coach Serhiy Rebrov, former Dynamo Kyiv and Tottenham striker who won the Hungarian league name in his first two seasons.
Ferencvaros is a government-backed club, its 22,000-seat stadium has been funded through the state and the club’s president, Gobor Kubatov, is an adjunct, cross-country manager of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party.
KRASNODAR or PAOK THESSALONIKI
A Russian debutant or a Greek club belonging to Russians absent from the festival since before the European Cup of the Champions League in 1992.
Krasnodar takes a 2-1 lead in the first leg in Russia in Thessaloniki for the return match on Wednesday.
Founded recently in 2008, a year before Leipzig, Krasnodar is in the Champions League tie for the time in a row. His 36-year-old coach Murad Musayev is even now fully qualified for UEFA.
Funded through multibillion-dollar retailer Sergey Galitsky, Krasnodar would be better known if its impressive 35,000-seat stadium had been selected as the 2018 World Cup stadium.
PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis made headlines for entering the box with a gun in a game in 2018.
PAOK played twice at the time of the European Cup as the Greek champion, the last time in the third name 1985. Su last year led to a recent third outing against Ajax in the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Another Champions League debutant could join the team later on Wednesday. Danish champion Midtjylland receives Slavia Prague after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
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