UEFA brings together football legends to declare new CL format

In a rare and dramatic reveal, UEFA brought together some of football’s most iconic legends to announce the new format of the UEFA Champions League, making for a memorable ad film. The ad is set in an opera house in Piacenza, Italy, where the tension among the legends is visible as they struggle to make sense of the new competition format.

The commercial features legendary players like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Luis Figo, Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero and others, all bewildered by the new format of the UEFA Champion's league. Buffon, visibly frustrated, even calls the UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin to express his confusion, complaining, "None of us understand this, Mr. President." Buffon, who has recently retired, amusingly laments that he has better things to do than decipher the new rules.

As the scene progresses, the President arrives at the opera house, where the footballers attempt to comprehend the new format, which simultaneously explains the changes to the audience. The President reassures Figo, telling him the new format will be fine, but not before the commercial’s star, Zlatan Ibrahimović, makes his grand entrance.

Zlatan, true to his reputation for being difficult on and off the pitch, engages in a playful yet confrontational exchange with the UEFA President. When asked about his grievances with the new format, Zlatan criticises it as "garbage" and insists that UEFA has always complicated things unnecessarily. He dramatically suggests, “You keep it simple. Why does UEFA insist on complicating everything?” before approaching the opera conductor, asking him to play the music. The opera starts playing the legendary UEFA Champion's League anthem composed by Tony Britten.

The scene then takes a turn reminiscent of the iconic film "Braveheart," with Zlatan delivering an impassioned speech against the backdrop of dramatic opera music. He simplifies the seemingly complex new format, urging the UEFA President not to overwhelm fans with "corporate garbage" but to focus on giving them what they truly want—more football.

As Zlatan speaks, the ad showcases some of football’s greatest moments, flashing images of past and future legends, from Lionel Messi to Erling Haaland. The climax of his speech is abruptly cut off by the UEFA President, who silences Zlatan’s reference to the “SUPER…” with a pointed “Shhhh… I told you that was never going to happen.” This line is a clear nod to the failed European Super League project, a controversial initiative that sought to create an elite, closed competition among Europe’s top clubs.

The opera resumes, and Zlatan finishes his speech by celebrating the game and the Champions League itself, declaring, “The best club competition just got better because this is the Champions.” The opera then comes to a dramatic halt as Zlatan walks off with the President, who quips that they don’t actually need him to explain the format, as the tournament will speak for itself. The ad ends with Buffon, still frustrated over the new format and his cancelled dinner plans, being told by the President to go home. The screen fades to the UEFA Champions League logo and the tagline, “A NEW ERA BEGINS.”

This ad, featuring football’s greatest legends, not only unveils the new format but also cleverly addresses the concerns and expectations of fans, making it an ad that people will not forget easily.