The Conference League’s expanded league phase feels increasingly diluted, struggling to inspire the prestige expected of a major continental tournament. Thursday nights offer silverware hopes for clubs like Sparta Prague and Crystal Palace, plus historic narratives for underdog minnows like KuPS, yet the magic frequently fades. Sparta Prague's routine victory over a dismal Aberdeen emphasized the problem: empty seats and diminished stakes.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina’s European success despite domestic struggles exposes a glaring competitive quality imbalance. The 36-team format featuring just six matches creates unfair lottery draws—as Aberdeen discovered—leaving the tournament overshadowed by its more prestigious siblings. Broader interest remains remarkably low. To survive, UEFA must surely pivot. Reverting to a 32-team straight knockout format, reminiscent of the old European Cup, would reduce fixture congestion while injecting immediate, necessary drama. Without such experimental changes, the competition risks becoming a forgotten relic, consigned to the history books alongside the defunct Intertoto Cup.