The threat of European Super League, with the powerful (with the Madrid leading among them) looking for a way to earn more millions, is mobilizing the UEFA, who has been working on a new UEFA Champions League format starting in the 2024 season to revive the group stage, the interest of the fans and, above all, distribute more money.
A project called ‘Protection to the historical’ that would benefit Sevilla because it rewards the clubs that, without qualifying among the top four, would achieve in the Champions League for their European achievements or for the UEFA coefficient (eighth was Sevilla in 2020).
According to RMC Sport, the idea of UEFA, which yesterday held a telematic meeting and has been consulting the clubs and leagues of the different countries, is to expand the number of matches currently played in the group stage, in which the strongest teams qualify against weaker opponents, sometimes with one or two matches left over that are of no interest. It would pass, therefore, from 32 clubs to 36. The classifieds are increased and the ‘historic’ clubs that they fail to get in the way of their competition.
The intention is that the great ones are. One of the usual complaints to the current format is that it is a too democratic formula and clubs without a sports curriculum enter the Champions League, while others that generate more interest or that accumulate historical achievements, such as Sevilla, hexaca, champion of the Europa League with a UEFA coefficient that places it at Top 10 European clubs.
Teams would play 10 games before the knockout rounds, which translates into more television and more millionaire income, and the pass would be achieved with a league table classification, according to the newspaper AS.
On the table is also that national tournaments must have 18 teams in its highest category, instead of 20 as it happens in the Spanish LaLiga, and that the matches of this ‘SuperChampions’ continue to be played on weekdays so as not to hinder the domestic leagues on weekends.
The President of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, has the backing of the five clubs representing the European Clubs Association (ECA) – Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe and Paris Saint Germain-.
In any case, you will have to continue negotiating to try to satisfy everyone in the tournament access formula (sports plan) and, what is more complicated, in a fair economic distribution.
