The human brain is hardwired to resist change, and status quo bias is one of the strongest logical fallacies that affects our daily lives. From 1992 until this year, European soccer fans watched the best teams on the continent compete in midweek round-robin group play. It was fun.
It was comfortable. And it often provided us with a singular “group of death” almost every year that saw multiple top teams pitted against one another. The Champions League format was inherently simple—teams were placed into pots based on past European success and drawn into groups of four teams.
After six matches, the top two teams from each group would qualify for the knockout round. A series of two-legged aggregate playoffs would narrow down the field to the final two teams, who would then meet in the final at a neutral site to determine European soccer superiority and conclude the club season. The old Champions League format had the history, the pageantry, and the iconic anthem.
A sport steeped in tradition where fans dreamed about traveling abroad for away nights across Europe. A tune that echoed throughout the grounds and into neighboring cities around Europe before kickoff. Why change it? The better question to ask is, why not change it? I might always want my favorite dish at my favorite restaurant, but it’s past time for the Champions League to try a new dish.
The fear of the unknown is one thing, but the Champions League is going to maintain so much of what we all love about it in .