The Conference League is the third most important club soccer tournament in Europe. While the Champions League and Europa League have a higher status, this tournament is seen more as an opportunity for smaller clubs or league representatives to establish themselves in the Euro arena. Having said that, the winners of the tournament so far are from:
- Greece
- Italy
- England
Fans and bettors were surprised that the tournament will undergo some changes this season, as it is only 3 years old. But these changes are aimed more at increasing the representation of teams. Not only that, but it will allow as many players as possible to gain experience playing in the European competitions. To understand the benefits and disadvantages of the new format it is worth breaking them down.
Changes to the Conference League main round
Among the main changes that allow you to build football tips predictions and bet on soccer, bettors highlight the increase in the total number of participants in the main round. Now in the main round will be 36 teams instead of 32. In addition:
- teams are divided into four baskets
- each competitor must play three matches (three at home and three away)
- the opponents will be six different teams
- a common standings table is introduced
- one-third of the teams immediately get to the 1/8 finals
- one-third of the teams after the main stage will leave the tournament
As you can see there are quite a lot of changes in the tournament. Some of them will have a positive impact on the tournament. However, some are not satisfied with the innovations.
Positive assessments of the new format
When a bettor makes correct score tips and predictions on soccer, they must understand how the tournament itself is held. But also they must also ‘get’ the attitude to it on the part of players and coaching staff. Regarding the new format of the Conference League, many emphasise the following positive changes:
- teams will play more matches and will be able to earn more money (for smaller leagues this is an opportunity to significantly replenish their club budget)
- the top eight teams will be able to avoid participating in the 1/16 finals and not force their preparation for the season
- there will be a separate game week for the Conference League (the European Cups will not exhaust the players with matches every 3-4 days)
These points will have a positive impact on the financial component of clubs and will allow for a more competent distribution of players’ strengths. But there are also opponents of the innovations.
Negative assessments of the new format
Representatives of the top platforms among that xGscore.io noticed that not all teams are happy about the innovations. Many coaches and players are apprehensive about the new format because of:
- more matches in the group stage
- a longer season and the absence of a winter preparation window (if previously the group stage ended in December, now it will last until February)
- the readiness of smaller federations to provide quality turf in winter
- overexertion of players due to the overload of the season
These opinions do make one worry about the logic of such innovations. But UEFA representatives are confident that the new Conference League format will give fans more interesting matches already at the start of the tournament. And if we take into account that some of the participants of the tournament have a large number of players under contract (only lazy people did not talk about Chelsea this season), we can safely carry out the rotation.
Conclusion
Now it is difficult to say whether these changes will have a positive or negative impact on the Conference League. But it can be seen that this tournament has already attracted the attention of the fans. After the first tournament in this format, we can draw the first conclusions. But in general, it is an interesting reform in the Eurocups, which will be watched by the entire soccer community.