Champions League: the last square is always closed – The Équipe.fr

Thank Manchester City! By qualifying for the first time in its history to the semifinals of the Champions League (first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday at 20.45 at the Etihad Stadium), who defeated the PSG blows a little novelty wind the circle of increasingly closed European heavyweights. Not enough, however, contradict this brazen trend escort C1 “modern” from 1992-1993 in the image of the “closed league” which in his time dreaming of the G14 biggest clubs, those are always the same – the richest – who make rain or shine on the continent

before and after 2004.

No need to go back to Methuselah (the European Cup was created in 1955) to find an evolution obvious to a tightening of the European elite. Just observe the differences between the first and second half of the 24 seasons of “Champions”

First observation: during the twelve editions played after 2004 and the final Porto – Monaco (3-0), sixteen teams. only reached the last four, exactly the same number as in seven seasons between 1998 and 2004 and less than twelve seasons between 1993 and 2004 where 23 different clubs had qualified for the semifinals.

the tight circle of the elect is also measured in terms of nationality. Despite the increasing number of associations within UEFA from the Eastern bloc burst, fewer of them are able to place their clubs in the magic square. Already, since the same final Porto – Monaco, no issue team another championship that four (England, Spain, Italy, Germany) has won or even reached the final. In the same period, only two additional nations have raised their representatives in the semifinals – and only once each: the Netherlands (PSV Eindhoven in 2005) and France (Lyon, 2010).

The contrast, again, is significant with the previous period. Between 1993 and 2004, clubs from seven countries have won the final or participated: besides the big four, France (Olympique de Marseille in 1993 and AS Monaco in 2004), the Netherlands (Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 1996) and Portugal (FC Porto in 2004). In the same period, the semifinals were for a total of eleven countries: the seven already mentioned, plus Scotland and Sweden (Gothenburg and Glasgow Rangers, the second group stage in 1993) and Greece (Panathinaikos 1996) and Ukraine (Dynamo Kiev in 1999).

Sept clubs weighing 2 halves of 3

with its “Remontada” against Wolfsburg, Real Madrid has offered a semifinal 11th since 1993, as now that FC Barcelona and one more than Bayern Munich (10). A total of seven clubs over five participations in the final four account for nearly two-thirds of all semifinalists since 1993 (59 of 96).

These familiar clubs semifinals – and those who follow more or less far – share their financial power. In the top list, only the Milan absent semis since 2007, won. Conversely, Manchester City may well be a rookie at this stage, his participation was written in 2008 and the massive injection of petrodollars UAE. Other “new rich” Chelsea has managed to reach the last four after 2003 and the club’s takeover by Abramovich. In the same category, PSG QSI (2011) must wait to regain already reached the semifinals once (1995).

The four in the top 15 richest

This season, with the exception of Manchester United, eliminated in the phase groups, and Liverpool, unqualified, the ten richest clubs in the world in 2015, according to calculations by Deloitte, rallied the knockout stages and three of them (Real, Bayern, City) reached the semis. The fourth robber, Atlético, is ranked 15th in world football fortune by the London firm – not really a miserable either.

In the current formula C1 that protects tenors limiting confrontations knockout, he will undoubtedly be increasingly difficult to shake up the established order. Especially because the money from the Champions League (€ 61M for Barca last season) rekindles a virtuous economic circle: New ways to build a competitive team, promised to other successes thus new revenues. ..