UEFA has unveiled a new look for the Champions League, featuring a revamped brand identity and anthem. However, the updated anthem has faced significant backlash from fans who feel it has diminished the competition’s traditional appeal. Many call for the return of the original anthem, which has long been a beloved part of the tournament’s identity.
UEFA reveals new Champions League look
The new look introduces a revamped competition format with a new league phase.
With the launch of the new UEFA Champions League format, UEFA has introduced Kick of Light—a fresh brand identity to match the updated version of the world’s top club football competition.
The UEFA Champions League offers an unforgettable experience for clubs, players, and fans. The new brand captures this essence with a redesigned tarball and updated visuals, including the iconic stadium and its distinctive tarball dome.
Kick of Light draws inspiration from a prism, which disperses white light into a spectrum of colors. In the new design, the UEFA Champions League starball and stadium dome are depicted as glass, with colors shifting around the star’s edges to symbolize the diverse clubs in the league phase. Although the brand identity has been updated, classic elements like the logo remain the same.
The UEFA Champions League’s core message is “the best of the best on the ultimate stage.” Kick of Light reflects this by preserving a premium, refined, and prestigious appearance. UEFA aimed to modernize the brand while still appealing to long-time fans. Adapting the identity for digital and social media was crucial to engage younger audiences.
The new brand will be featured across all UEFA Champions League marketing, digital media, licensing, events, and broadcasting. Detailed toolkits have been developed to help UEFA and its partners implement the brand consistently and effectively worldwide.
The new brand includes a subtly updated version of the UEFA Champions League anthem, one of the most famous in sports and entertainment. Composer Tony Britten has refined the orchestration and re-recorded the anthem with a selected orchestra and the acclaimed choir Tenebrae.
‘Destroying football’—UEFA’s new Champions League anthem is criticized by fans who feel the competition has ‘lost its aura’ and are calling for the return of the old version
This year’s Champions League features a major overhaul in its structure, marking one of the most significant changes in its history. UEFA is replacing the long-standing group stage format, which has been used since the tournament began in 1992-93, with a new league phase that includes more matches than before.
The uproar among fans isn’t about the format change but UEFA’s decision to modify the iconic Champions League anthem. The original anthem, inspired by George Frideric Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” has been a central part of the competition’s identity for decades and is now facing widespread criticism for its alteration.
In the new television intro, UEFA has unveiled a refreshed version of the anthem, showcasing top stars such as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr. This updated anthem has been met with considerable backlash, as many fans have voiced their disappointment and frustration online.
What fans are saying
An X user, @rache16348, wrote: “I speak for everyone when I say we don’t like this version. We want the old one back 😒”.
Another user, @mxth1_, wrote: “Horrible. Lost its aura.”
While one of them, @vickygrizi, wrote: “The beautiful game has died.”
Whereas @Fs_FTBL opined: “This sounds like a fail comp song 😭.”
@JehoFCB wrote: “They’re ruining football.”
What’s next?
As the debate over the new anthem persists, focus is shifting to the draw for the 2024-25 Champions League league phase. Scheduled for Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, the draw will start at 5 pm BST (noon ET). UEFA has confirmed the time, and the event is anticipated to attract considerable attention as fans eagerly await the matchups in this new format.
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