Image source, Reuters
Paris St-Germain became European champions for the archetypal clip successful what was their 168th crippled successful the competition
Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist
Paris St-Germain are the champions of Europe - first-time winners aft thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 successful the astir one-sided last of the competition's history.
They are the archetypal French broadside to triumph the coveted prize since Marseille successful 1993 and lone the 24th antithetic nine to assistance the celebrated trophy.
On insubstantial the Champions League and its caller format appears a much divers contention - earlier you retrieve PSG's starting XI successful Munich outgo £403m to assemble, compared to the £137m Inter paid for their starting side.
"Everyone criticised america and doubted us, tons of radical didn't judge successful our project," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told Canal Plus.
"The nonsubjective present is to triumph again. It has taken 14 years of hard enactment but we are gathering thing for the future."
Qatar Sports Investments bought PSG successful 2011. Since past the nine has spent 2.3bn euros (£2.1bn) connected transportation fees,, external according to estimates from Transfermarkt.
"If you instrumentality a look astatine their wage measure from past season, it was astir apt 1 of the apical 2 oregon 3 highest successful European football," shot concern adept Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport.
"It's romanticist successful the consciousness they won the Champions League for the archetypal clip and the shot was perfectly brilliant. But from a fiscal constituent of view, you would expect them to beryllium determination oregon thereabouts."
The past nine to triumph the Champions League for the archetypal clip were Manchester City, who are nether Abu Dhabi ownership and, according to Deloitte's Money League, are the 2nd richest nine successful the satellite down lone Real Madrid and 1 spot supra PSG.
The caller Champions League format involves much teams - 36 successful the contention due alternatively of 32 nether the aged format - portion the caller league signifier offers fans much games, much goals and a accidental to spot European heavyweights play 1 different much frequently.
It was introduced pursuing the illness of a caller European Super League (ESL),, external arsenic astir of the teams progressive withdrew aft a backlash led by fans.
But is the new-look Champions League a European Super League successful each but name?
What was the European Super League and wherefore was it controversial?
Twelve of Europe's starring clubs - including six from the Premier League - signed up to plans to signifier a European Super League successful 2021.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham were the English representatives, joining AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona arsenic founding members.
The league would person fundamentally replaced the Champions League arsenic Europe's elite competition, but would not person had the aforesaid qualification process whereby teams could participate via their home position.
At the aforesaid time, the founding members wanted to stay portion of their respective home leagues.
The plans proved controversial, not conscionable with supporters but with rival clubs who said it devalued home competition.
Given founding members of the contention could not beryllium 'relegated' from it, critics argued the tourney was a closed publication for Europe's elite teams.
PSG and Bayern Munich rejected approaches to join, portion fans from the clubs progressive held respective protests, starring to each six English clubs withdrawing from the process.
'Not close England person six Champions League spots'
Next season's Champions League volition see six English Premier League teams alternatively of the accustomed four.
Newcastle United, who finished 5th successful the table, volition play successful the contention aft European football's governing assemblage Uefa awarded two bonus spots to the home leagues which performed champion successful Europe successful 2024-25.
Meanwhile, Tottenham - who finished 17th - volition besides articulation Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea successful the contention aft winning the Europa League.
Twenty-two of the 36 places successful the league signifier volition travel from Europe's top-five leagues, with Spain securing 5 spots, Germany and Italy 4 each, portion France volition person 3 teams.
In addition, the Netherlands volition person 2 teams successful the league phase, portion Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic, Turkey and Belgium volition person 1 squad each.
Just 11 of those 29 clubs person qualified for the league signifier arsenic champions of their state this season.
That leaves lone 7 places to beryllium decided done the qualifying rounds.
"I don't deliberation it's close that England should person six teams successful the Champions League," said Ian Dennis, elder shot newsman astatine BBC Radio 5 Live., external
"I cognize why. We're gearing ourselves towards...it's efficaciously a Super League successful each but name.
"But if you deliberation astir it, the dominance of the Premier League teams successful the assorted European competitions, the English coefficient unless it's unusual, volition ever beryllium successful the apical three, if not the apical two.
"And truthful the English clubs are ever going to payment with the other place.
"Now England person got six clubs successful the Champions League, Spain person got five…I deliberation it's going to beryllium precise hard to effort to wrestle that distant from the English sides."
Will an underdog triumph the Champions League again?
Who were the past existent underdogs to triumph the Champions League - and volition it hap again?
Jose Mourinho's Porto enjoyed a fairytale tally to the final, external successful 2003-04, which included beating a ascendant Manchester United on the way, earlier defeating Monaco 3-0 successful the final.
In 21 editions since, determination person been 10 antithetic winners - Real Madrid (six times), Barcelona (4), Liverpool (2), Chelsea (2), Bayern Munich (2), AC Milan (1), Manchester United (1), Inter Milan (1), Manchester City (1) and Paris St-Germain (1).
"The probability of different Porto winning the Champions League is astir the aforesaid arsenic different Leicester City winning the Premier League," Maguire added.
"We've had a attraction of wealthiness successful the hands of less and less clubs. We person got the emergence of dynasties now.
"The Champions League is precise overmuch geared and tiered towards affluent clubs - and that's owed to having to springiness distant concessions to the Super League clubs successful bid to dissuade them from reconsidering mounting up their ain competition."
Arsenal the adjacent first-time winners?
After Manchester City's occurrence successful 2023 and PSG's triumph successful Munich, who volition beryllium the adjacent first-time winners?
"Arsenal are good placed due to the fact that they bash person superior concern arsenic acold arsenic the squad is acrophobic - astir apt successful the portion of £700m to £800m," added Maguire.
Inter Milan were the past Italian nine to triumph the Champions League successful 2010 erstwhile Mourinho was successful charge.
Maguire added: "Could we spot different Italian nine possibly bash it? Possibly, but I honestly judge it's unlikely. In France, it's PSG oregon cipher fixed the collapse of the French TV deal., external
"In Germany? As a romanticist you'd anticipation that Borussia Dortmund could bash it. In Spain, if Atletico Madrid tin get their ducks successful order.
"That's astir apt arsenic acold arsenic we tin go."
A 'new era' of the Champions League - each you request to know
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