Playing again tonight, here is the explanation why Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, must play the UEFA Champions League on Thursday night, instead of the usual Tuesday or Wednesday night.
Normally, football fans worldwide, including Thai supporters, are well accustomed to the UEFA Champions League matches taking place on Tuesday or Wednesday nights (with the final on a Saturday). Traditionally, Thursday nights are reserved for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
However, the reason Manchester United, the renowned red team from Manchester, must play their 2026-27 UEFA Champions League match against Azerbaijan’s Sabah FC on a Thursday night is due to UEFA’s "new competition format," which designates an exclusive competition week.
During the first week of the league phase, the Champions League is granted exclusive broadcast rights across three nights—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—without any other European competitions like the Europa League or Conference League playing that week.
This Thursday scheduling only applies to the first matchday. From the second matchday onward, games will return to the regular Tuesday and Wednesday schedule. The Europa League and Conference League will also have their own exclusive weeks later on.
It should be noted that Michael Carrick’s team being scheduled to play on Thursday is not a demotion or lower-tier positioning; rather, it is a strategic policy to spread out matches and maximize viewing opportunities for fans.
At the same time, this approach helps reduce the congestion of live broadcast schedules. For instance, Bayern Munich, who reached the semifinals last season, also played on a Thursday night.