After the last games, we now know most of the teams that will play in the debut of the new Champions League format. There are already a few surprises among these teams, including the stadiums where loyal fans will finally hear: ‘The Champions’!

Old-school stadiums back on top

One of the most outstanding stadiums in Serie A is Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, where Bologna FC play, led by a young coach, known among other things for his appearances at PSG, Thiago Motta. Bologna last played in the Champions League, or rather its equivalent, the European Club Champions Cup, in the 1964/65 season. The distinctive red brick tower, which has been the stadium's trademark for 97 years, will therefore see the biggest football stars back.

Aston Villa had an equally great league season in 2023/24 - the team led by Unai Emery finished fourth in the Premier League with 68 points. The Birmingham club have never played in the Champions League - their last appearance in its equivalent was in 1982/83 - and won the European Cup the year before after a victory over Bayern Munich in the final of that competition. The home of this season's revelation, Villa Park, which was built back in the 19th century, is therefore set for another heyday.

© Chris Homer | Villa Park

Smallest Spanish stadium in Champions League history

Girona FC finished slightly higher in the table in their home competition. Like Villa, the Blanquivermells were, until a certain point in the season, considered a contender to become champions. As time went on, Girona were overtaken by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, but that doesn't change the fact that the team, who were promoted to LaLiga in 2022 after finishing sixth at the back and winning the play-offs, have something to celebrate. The Catalan club have to make some changes to their stadium, Montilivi, to adapt it to hosting Champions League matches at their home. To do this, the capacity of the venue will have to be reduced. Why? You'll find out in a separate article about Girona's preparations for the Champions League.

In the last round of Ligue 1, promotion to the Champions League was also secured by French club Stade brestois 29. However, as it turns out, the stadium where the players of the team from Brittany play their home matches on a daily basis, Stade Francis-Le Blé, is not suitable for these European competitions. In all likelihood, the 3rd team of the French league will play its home games at Stade de Roudourou in Guingamp, more than 100 km away. We also wrote about the reasons why Stade brestois 29 has to look for a replacement stadium in another article.

© bruno le ray | Stade de Roudourou

Surprises in Germany and Austria

Bayer Leverkusen were not the only ones to pre-empt the Munich hegemon. The team led in the 2023/24 season by Thomas Tuchel finished the Bundesliga in third place, behind VfB Stuttgart in the last round. The last time the club played in the Champions League was in the 2009/2010 season, when the team reached the 1/8 final, where they faced FC Barcelona. In the first match, played in Germany, there was a 1:1 draw, but in the rematch at Camp Nou Stuttgart lost 0:4. The Champions League returns to the Neckar River after 14 years - at MPH Arena.

There was also no lack of surprise across Germany's southern border - the Austrian league was won by Sturm Graz. The last time the club played in the Champions League was in the 2000/2001 season, when the team won its group and advanced to the second round, where it faced, among others, Manchester United. Since then, Sturm Graz has participated in Champions League qualification several times, but without success in reaching the group stage. 23 years ago, the team from Austria's second-largest city played at the venue where the club is performing now. At the time, the arena was called Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadion. However, in the Champions League, Sturm will play in Klagenfurt. We wrote about the reasons why Wörthersee Arena was chosen in another article.

© Stadtpresse - Horst | Wörthersee Arena