UEFA RELEASE 36-TEAM PLAN
Fans were quick to protest against ESL proposals
UEFA have insisted their new-look Champions League will be a huge success – and warned the European Super League concept would “destroy” football.
European football bosses unveiled full details of the 36-team format for next season, which will include tennis-style seedings for the knock-out stages.
UEFA’S director of football Giorgio Marchetti revealed they ditched a previous proposal, which provided back-up places for teams, based on historical performance, following objections from the domestic leagues.
Insisting that any European league which scraps qualification would be a disaster for the game, Marchetti (below) said: “We’ve been studying the format for six years and it shows that UEFA is good at listening.
“When we put it out for debate, it was clear the reaction was no-go because an element we underestimated was the point that the leagues made, which was that it would destroy the domestic leagues.
“You need the incentive of qualifying for Europe, especially to Champions League. It is too important for the leagues, both sporting and commercial.
“We believe that this league, every year all the participants must come from domestic competition. We don’t see how you can change it without severely affecting the importance.” Past proposals for a
European Super
League have always featured an automatic passport for the bigger clubs based on previous success rather than results.
That was at the heart of the backlash against the Premier League ‘Big Six’, who signed up for the ESL but will now compete to take part in the new-look Champions League.
The new format is so complicated that UEFA estimate that a draw by hand would “take three or four hours”, meaning much of the selection process will be automated.
But it offers the chance for England to have up to seven clubs in the 36-team league phase, which is replacing the 32-team group phase
Four clubs are guaranteed a place, a fifth spot is available based on coefficients from the previous season, while the winner of the Europa League is promoted to the Champions League.
The Champions League winner will also secure a place, even if they finish outside of the top four in the Premier League.
Tennis-style seeding will be used from the last 16 onwards, so that the clubs finishing first and second in the league phase are kept in separate halves of the draw.
Meanwhile, UEFA could provide an extra “fan park” in Croke Park for the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22, such is the anticipated demand for tickets, especially if Liverpool qualify.