Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

Champions League 2024/25: Debutant Teams Post the Tourney’s Rebranding in 1992 Ft. Aston Villa

Several of these teams have never played in the Champions League since 1992, when the tournament received a makeover

The UEFA Champions League is the most elite international club tournament in Europe and the world. Therefore, all European clubs wish to be a part of this coveted tourney, hoping to lift it someday. Unfortunately, there are several clubs, even from the top-tier leagues, that have never played in the Champions League, even after 1992, when the tournament was rebranded. Although the ongoing season of 2024/2025 has five debutants who are featuring in the event for the first time in its 32-year history.

Aston Villa

Among these lesser-known names, Aston Villa is probably the only famous name that many would recognise. A regular in the Premier League, finishing fifth last season, Villa has never played in the Champions League until this season, when they made their debut against Young Boys on September 17. The team won the game by three goals. In the last two years, Villa has gained a new set of fans given the presence of Argentina's crazy World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Girona

Hailing from Spain and presently playing in the top division of La Liga, Girona FC gained promotion to La Liga only seven years ago. Therefore, it relatively remains a lesser-known name in football, mostly languishing in the mid or bottom half of the table. However, Girona shocked the fans last season after the club finished third on the La Liga table, claiming a spot in the Champions League. Unfortunately, Girona's debut UCL match did not work in the club's favour, as it lost the game against PSG on September 19. What was worse was that they lost because of Paulo Gazzaniga's own goal.

Bologna

Despite winning the Serie A seven times, the names of other Italian clubs such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Napoli, and Juventus are mostly hailed by the new-gen fans. After all, Bologna had its last glory days in the 70s and 80s, but there hasn't been much success story in the last few decades. Last season, the team finished fifth on the Serie A table to reach the Champions League in 2024/25. The team's debut game in the UCL was a draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Stade Brestois 29

A lesser-known team from the French Ligue 1, Stade Brestois 29's only credible trophy is its Ligue 2 victory. A club that mostly spends its years in the bottom half of the table surprised the Ligue 1 last season by finishing third, which is why the club is now trying to stay afloat in the Champions League. The French outfit won its first game against SK Sturm Graz on September 20.

Slovan Bratislava

Hailing from Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava is one of the top teams in the Slovak Super Liga but has little recognition in the overall European football circuit. They reached the Champions League, having fought hard through four rounds of qualifying. In the four rounds, the team defeated clubs such as Struga, Celje, Cypriots Apoel, and Midtjylland.


Unfortunately, the club's debut game against Celtic proved to be humiliating because Celtic nailed five goals, whereas Bratislava could only respond back with one.