By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
Back to Ferenc Puskás. In 1960, the Hungarian was architect of perhaps the greatest European final ever as Real Madrid dazzled Hampden Park with a scintillating 7-3 triumph. Their opponents that day, Eintracht Frankfurt, played their part but have only graced the competition once since, as UEFA Europa League holders. Yet under Dino Toppmöller, son of Klaus (whose Leverkusen side lost another Hampden final to Real Madrid in 2002), the Eagles have landed in the league phase after finishing third in the Bundesliga. Home or away Frankfurt’s fans are a show in themselves. The club, which has appointed six fan liaison and support officers, says about their support: “Loyal, creative, colourful and travel-hungry, the Eintracht Frankfurt fan scene is widely regarded as one of the most vocal and imaginative in Germany. Eintracht’s eventful past means supporters have been subjected to the odd emotional rollercoaster ride, but they have always stuck by the Eagles through thick and thin, remaining loyal at all times across Europe and beyond. For them, Eintracht mirrors life: ‘Full of passion, joy, frustration, sadness, total craziness, unpredictability and magic’.”
”Dietmar Hamann reckons Florian Wirtz is ‘by far and away’ the best German footballer today and envisages him playing superstar football for Arne Slot”
The Champions League is, by definition, home to a galaxy of stars. Some have shone brightly for a while, demanded their spot in the night sky; others are ready to command their place on a stage where greatness is launched, measured and lauded. Could it be ex-Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitiké? Or last-minute signing Alexander Isak? How about another Liverpool newcomer, an unstoppable force as Leverkusen topped the league phase last season? Step forward, Florian Wirtz. When I asked former Germany favourite Dietmar Hamann about Wirtz he was unable to contain his excitement. Hamann, whose introduction helped change the narrative of the 2005 Istanbul final for Liverpool from torrid nightmare to fever dream, says he envisages Wirtz playing superstar football for Arne Slot. He reckons the attacking midfielder-cum-winger is “by far and away” the best German footballer today and he emphasised that, akin to footballers of huge creative ability like Eric Cantona and Dennis Bergkamp, Wirtz knows “how to take care of himself on the pitch – he’s tough”. Vision, technical gifts, pace, creative daring, physical and mental strength plus the armoury of the reigning Premier League champions around him and already a record of six goals in only nine Champions League appearances, Wirtz is sure to be one to watch in 2025/26.
Quick quiz question: How many clubs have managed back-to-back titles in the Champions League era? Answer: One. No prizes for identifying Real Madrid as the outlier. So, having ended their anthological journey by finally etching their names on that famous trophy, will Paris repeat the feat? I know that’s Luis Enrique’s objective, because he’s told me as much in private and in public. Indeed, it was the main topic on conversation back in summer 2023 when he took over. Paris president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was keen to assure Luis Enrique that he was tying himself to a project and that there was time and support to build to the climactic moment of winning the Champions League. The Asturian immediately reassured his boss that he didn’t have time to waste, that life wasn’t for “seeing if things eventually come along” – and he set out to win football’s holy grail. Semi-final first year, thrilling victors in Munich last season and a reinforced squad this time around. He’s not scared of saying out loud that he wants his well-drilled, highly motivated crew to make it to Budapest and win again. And it’s worth looking out for how Luis Enrique and his disciples intend to do it. “The way I see top-level football as a coach, is to try to offer a show to the fans, like going to the cinema or the theatre,” he said. “I don’t want them to go to see a film and start crying because the film is terrible, but to enjoy the effort of the team, how the team plays.” Maybe the 2025/26 sequel really will eclipse the original.hm
By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
Back to Ferenc Puskás. In 1960, the Hungarian was architect of perhaps the greatest European final ever as Real Madrid dazzled Hampden Park with a scintillating 7-3 triumph. Their opponents that day, Eintracht Frankfurt, played their part but have only graced the competition once since, as UEFA Europa League holders. Yet under Dino Toppmöller, son of Klaus (whose Leverkusen side lost another Hampden final to Real Madrid in 2002), the Eagles have landed in the league phase after finishing third in the Bundesliga. Home or away Frankfurt’s fans are a show in themselves. The club, which has appointed six fan liaison and support officers, says about their support: “Loyal, creative, colourful and travel-hungry, the Eintracht Frankfurt fan scene is widely regarded as one of the most vocal and imaginative in Germany. Eintracht’s eventful past means supporters have been subjected to the odd emotional rollercoaster ride, but they have always stuck by the Eagles through thick and thin, remaining loyal at all times across Europe and beyond. For them, Eintracht mirrors life: ‘Full of passion, joy, frustration, sadness, total craziness, unpredictability and magic’.”
”Dietmar Hamann reckons Florian Wirtz is ‘by far and away’ the best German footballer today and envisages him playing superstar football for Arne Slot”
The Champions League is, by definition, home to a galaxy of stars. Some have shone brightly for a while, demanded their spot in the night sky; others are ready to command their place on a stage where greatness is launched, measured and lauded. Could it be ex-Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitiké? Or last-minute signing Alexander Isak? How about another Liverpool newcomer, an unstoppable force as Leverkusen topped the league phase last season? Step forward, Florian Wirtz. When I asked former Germany favourite Dietmar Hamann about Wirtz he was unable to contain his excitement. Hamann, whose introduction helped change the narrative of the 2005 Istanbul final for Liverpool from torrid nightmare to fever dream, says he envisages Wirtz playing superstar football for Arne Slot. He reckons the attacking midfielder-cum-winger is “by far and away” the best German footballer today and he emphasised that, akin to footballers of huge creative ability like Eric Cantona and Dennis Bergkamp, Wirtz knows “how to take care of himself on the pitch – he’s tough”. Vision, technical gifts, pace, creative daring, physical and mental strength plus the armoury of the reigning Premier League champions around him and already a record of six goals in only nine Champions League appearances, Wirtz is sure to be one to watch in 2025/26.
Quick quiz question: How many clubs have managed back-to-back titles in the Champions League era? Answer: One. No prizes for identifying Real Madrid as the outlier. So, having ended their anthological journey by finally etching their names on that famous trophy, will Paris repeat the feat? I know that’s Luis Enrique’s objective, because he’s told me as much in private and in public. Indeed, it was the main topic on conversation back in summer 2023 when he took over. Paris president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was keen to assure Luis Enrique that he was tying himself to a project and that there was time and support to build to the climactic moment of winning the Champions League. The Asturian immediately reassured his boss that he didn’t have time to waste, that life wasn’t for “seeing if things eventually come along” – and he set out to win football’s holy grail. Semi-final first year, thrilling victors in Munich last season and a reinforced squad this time around. He’s not scared of saying out loud that he wants his well-drilled, highly motivated crew to make it to Budapest and win again. And it’s worth looking out for how Luis Enrique and his disciples intend to do it. “The way I see top-level football as a coach, is to try to offer a show to the fans, like going to the cinema or the theatre,” he said. “I don’t want them to go to see a film and start crying because the film is terrible, but to enjoy the effort of the team, how the team plays.” Maybe the 2025/26 sequel really will eclipse the original.hm
By any measure, the changes to the Champions League worked last season. We had thrills, fun, attacking flair and a record number of goals per game – above seeing your club actually lift the trophy, why else are we watching? It’s a demanding system. Of the 12 clubs who exited after the league phase last season only one lines up this time around, so there will be a host of teams who are new to the system, its opportunities and its testing nature. We can look forward to a repeat of last season’s recipe. Look at the knockout phase – from the last 16, not one game finished goalless and we live in an era where almost every successful club believes that attack is the best form of defence. Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll read the thoughts of Lamine Yamal but never forget that this is the type of competition that breeds young geniuses and where their flair, daring and precocity are all actively promoted. Lamine and Désiré Doué enjoyed their moments in the spotlight last season so which teens will kick on this term? Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Franco Mastantuono, Ibrahim Mbaye, Senny Mayulu, Ethan Nwaneri, Geovany Quenda? Or somebody else besides? Sit back and enjoy.
He missed a penalty, scored and won the most dramatic Champions League final of all time. He reached the semi-finals of this great competition nine times, for four different clubs. He experienced the bittersweet moment, in 2014, of watching on suspended as his side edged another dramatic final in extra time. His new employers have, by far, lifted the trophy more times than any other. So will Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid sate their mutual unquenchable thirst to conquer Europe again? How poetic it would be if they combined to achieve that next May at a venue bearing the name of one of their legends, Budapest’s Puskás Aréna? The articulate, demanding Basque has to squeeze the best out of Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé/Vinícius Júnior combination, he has to negotiate life after Luka Modrić, wait until late October or early November to deploy the imperious Jude Bellingham after shoulder surgery and, no small task, develop budding young stars like Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Mastantuono. The Santiago Bernabéu, roof closed, floodlights on full, packed to the rafters with 81,000 fanatical fans is one of the great treats in any sport. Catch this show if you can.
