From top to bottom, the new European structure has proved a big hit

The Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football, but over recent years I have grown tired of the predictability of the competition. Yes the teams may change, but it has seemingly
become a playground for clubs from the big five leagues.

Over the last 17 years the trophy has been lifted on eight occasions by teams from La Liga, five times by sides from the Premier League and twice apiece by Bundesliga and Serie A clubs.

The Champions League feels like it already is a European Super League, and clubs from outside those five leagues have found it almost impossible to challenge the financial muscle of the
established elite, particularly those from the Premier League.

Whether Uefa recognises that or not is unclear, as perhaps it was just clearing the way for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and others but, for me, the restructuring of European club football this season has proved a huge success.

For the first time in 22 years, since the disbanding of the Cup Winners' Cup, we have three Uefa club competitions - the Champions League, Europa League and the newly formed Europa Conference
League.

The creation of that third competition was initially met with scepticism, particularly from the big five leagues, and some of their concerns such as fixture congestion were understandable.

However, the Conference League has proved more than a valid competition and its introduction has also handed a new lease of life to both the Champions League and, particularly, the Europa
League.

The introduction of the Conference League, at least on paper, was not meant to change the status quo in the Champions League, but to hand more clubs from across the continent an opportunity to compete in Europe beyond the early qualifying rounds.

That has certainly proved the case, with 36 different countries involved in the group stage of one of the competitions this season compared to 28 in the previous campaign, and clubs from the
likes of Moldova, Gibraltar and Estonia represented.

Of those 36, 19 countries will also have representation in the knockout stages and that is where the excitement of the three competitions looks set to grow.

The Champions League knockout stages remain dominated by clubs from the big five leagues - 12 of the 16 teams still in that competition are from England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

That is no surprise and supporters of those teams and lovers of elite football in general can still enjoy those mouthwatering, if slightly familiar, fixtures.

I will certainly be tuning in to as many as I can, but perhaps because I am a supporter of a struggling club in League Two - Carlisle United - my gaze is more meaningfully drawn towards the variety and unpredictability of the Europa League and Conference League.

The Europa League has benefited hugely from the introduction of the Conference League, with the group stage slimmed down to 32 teams from the previous 48, making for a more evenly contested competition.

The eight group winners have progressed straight through to the last 16, while the eight runners-up contest a preliminary knockout tie against one of the third-place teams dropping into the competition from the Champions League.

That has thrown up some eyecatching and - for lovers of European football from a bygone era - nostalgic ties, including the Diego Maradona derby between Barcelona and Napoli, and Borussia
Dortmund's showdown with Rangers.

The competition is awash with clubs with illustrious European history, recent and not-so recent, as well as teams such as RB Leipzig and Atalanta who have established themselves as continental
regulars over recent years.

You just have to look at the odds to realise what a keenly contested Europa League this is - 16 of the 24 teams are rated 33-1 or shorter to go on and win the competition.

All that excitement comes before we even turn our attention to the Conference League. The knockout stages of that competition involve sides who in previous years would have already seen
their European participation for the season ended.

While the Conference League may not throw up as many fashionable names as the other competitions - even I might check my schedule before watching Midtjylland v PAOK - it still promises to be an enthralling knockout stage that will hand one of the 24 teams left in the hat the opportunity to lift a major European trophy.

While the first couple of knockout rounds may feel more like the qualifying stages of the Europa League, once we get through to the quarter-finals we should have a real competition on our hands.

Roma, Leicester and Fenerbahce could still be involved, as could former European champions Celtic, Feyenoord and Marseille.

That is a list of clubs worthy of gracing most competitions and even sceptics of the Conference League are surely going to be enticed by what's on offer.

Uefa may not get every, or even that many, decisions right – the farce that was this week’s Champions League draw anyone? – but based on what we have seen so far and what looks set to come, the restructuring of the European game has proved a big hit.

Not got a bet365 account? Bet £10 & get £50 in free bets

Open account offer. Minimum deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as bet credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Minimum odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude bet credits stake. Time limits/T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport