Football Daily: The Beginning

Hello and welcome to Football Daily!

I’ve never written a blog before, so please bear with me. For those who don’t know me, my name is Jair, and I’m a marketing major who enjoys playing and watching football (soccer). I someday hope to work for a soccer team, whether that be an MLS team here in America or a European team!

I will normally be talking about FC Barcelona, a Spanish football club. Still, every once in a while (like today), I will also talk about other European teams and the Champions League, a tournament where the best teams in Europe compete to be crowned the best team on the continent.

Now, it’s currently the month of January, which is one of the biggest months in European football. For one, the transfer window has been open for the whole month, allowing struggling teams like last year’s European champions, Manchester City, to acquire new players from different clubs in hopes of turning their season around. But we can talk about the transfer window once it closes and transfers are finalized next week.

I mainly want to talk about how January also brings an end to the Champions League’s new league phase.

Now, for those who don’t know, the Champions League has a brand-new format starting this season. Instead of the traditional group stage with 32 teams split into eight groups of four, we now have a single league phase featuring 36 teams. Each team plays eight different opponents (four at home and four away), with the top 8 teams automatically advancing to the Round of 16. The teams that finish between 9th and 24th place will enter a two-legged playoff to fight for the remaining eight knockout spots. The bottom 12 teams are, unfortunately, eliminated.

The format means that every game counts more than before, and the final matchday will be full of drama!

The last games of the league phase are being played on January 29! And ohh! It’s going to be an exciting day. All 36 teams 
will play at the same time, meaning the drama will be at its highest until the very end. And, of course, there are some amazing storylines to follow.

The biggest storyline is Manchester city, the 2023 winners, who were considered top contenders again this year. But with major injuries to stars like Ballon d'Oro winner Rodri and inconsistent play from superstars like Halland, Foden, and De Bryune, there are in serious danger of being eliminated. They face club Club Brugge, a Belgian team, in a MUST-WIN match to keep their hopes alive and qualify for the knockout playoffs.

Another big storyline is Real Madrid, who are currently hoping to sneak into the top eight to avoid the playoff round. They face Brest, a French team that has been the surprise of the tournament. Brest has yet to lose at home, and Madrid has already struggled in this competition. With Madrid desperate to avoid the extra playoff round, can their superstars Bellingham, Mbappé, and the Brazilian wing duo of Vinícius Jr. and Rodrygo step up like in previous years and get the job done?

This final matchday will determine who moves on, goes home, and faces an extra round of high-pressure football. Get ready because January 29 will be a wild day in European football, and I can't wait to see it all play out.