CHAMPIONS START WITH UNIQUE TIE

THE Champions League winners will start the defence of their trophy with a standalone glamour tie.

- BY JOHN CROSS:

It is part of a shakeup of European football's biggest competition from the 2027/28 season.

The reigning champions will play the first game of the campaign at home on the Tuesday night in the first week of the league phase. The rest of that week's action will then be played on the Wednesday and Thursday.

The change mirrors what happens in World Cups, when the defending champions kick off first, and also in other sports like Wimbledon when tennis champions get prime time slots on Centre Court.