18-04-2024, 04:16 PM
(18-04-2024, 02:22 PM)Brekkie Wrote: Is there no blackout in Germany then - I thought that was a UEFA thing?
It is a UEFA thing (Article 48 of the UEFA Statutes) but it is up to the individual associations to request it and the hours (which must be on Saturday or Sunday) they want it for - currently only England and Scotland do so, and I think the only other associations that have used it in recent times have been Northern Ireland and Montenegro.
(18-04-2024, 12:54 PM)Brekkie Wrote: 20 odd years ago though the Champions League had a second group stage which this new format is no longer than, so if they could have replays then no reason not to now.
There were two less knockout rounds in that format though, the second group stage effectively took the place of the round of 16, and the next round after it was the quarter finals. There is a further knockout play off round being introduced in this new format prior to the round of 16, and they are condensing the round of 16 (which at the moment takes place over four out of five weeks) to two weeks in order to accommodate that.