PSG aim for third consecutive Champions League title
The new UEFA Champions League season will begin with the league phase this week, and reigning tournament winners Paris Saint-Germain will try to win the trophy for a third consecutive time. Last season, the Parisians defended their title by defeating Arsenal in the final in Budapest in a penalty shootout.
As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, PSG won the Champions League for the first time in their history two years earlier. Luis Enrique's team became the second club after Real Madrid to win twice in a row in the modern format of the tournament introduced in 1992.
A chance to repeat a historic achievement
Three consecutive titles in Europe's premier club competition were previously won by Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane in 2016–2018, Ajax in 1971–1973, and Bayern in 1974–1976. The Madrid club also won the first five editions of the European Cup, from 1956 to 1960.
“Our goals are clear. I want to win important trophies, and there is nothing more important than the Champions League,” said Luis Enrique, who also led Barcelona to victory in the tournament in 2015.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
In the new format, 36 teams play eight matches against eight different opponents in the league phase. In the previous two campaigns, PSG did not finish in the top eight at this stage and reached the round of 16 through an additional playoff. This time, the Parisians' opponents will include Manchester City, Barcelona, and Aston Villa.
English clubs and new participants
Among the English participants, alongside Arsenal, will be Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Aston Villa. Arsenal, which completed the league phase with a 100% record in the previous season, will begin the campaign with an away match against Napoli.
Among the new teams in the tournament is Como, which finished fourth in Serie A under Cesc Fabregas. Norway's Viking from Stavanger will play in the main part of the Champions League for the first time after winning the country's championship for the first time in 34 years. Azerbaijan's Sabah will begin the league phase with an away match against Manchester United.
Participation in the league phase will bring clubs at least nearly €20 million in prize money. The Champions League winner will receive about €90 million in prize money, excluding additional television revenue.
