Critics have ‘conceded defeat’ over shake-up of Champions League
BLOW TO CITY AS UEFA IS REPORTED TO HAVE WON REFORM BATTLE
UEFA’S controversial Champions League reforms will reportedly be forced through, in a blow to Leicester City.
Despite opposition from the Premier League and other European leagues, the so-called Swiss system is set to come into play from 2024, and will see 36 teams involved in the competition, with each club playing 10 group matches instead of six, and ranked in one big league table.
Fixtures will be decided by seeding, with the top eight teams in the table going through to the knockout stages and clubs from ninth to 24th place facing a play-off for the final eight places.
The Times reports that those who have been opposed to some reforms, such as the controversial idea of giving two places to top clubs who have failed to qualify for the competition by traditional routes but have a strong historical record in Europe, have privately conceded defeat.
That particular ruling is the bugbear for City. If the proposed system had already been in place, Brendan Rodgers’ side, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season, would have qualified for the Europa League, but Tottenham, who finished sixth, would have been accepted into the Champions League as one of the best-ranked clubs by UEFA co-efficient.
The safety net provided to the biggest clubs who miss out on qualifying for the Champions League through the usual routes is the start of a potentially slippery slope towards a closed-off European super league, where clubs are rewarded because of historical success.
Rodgers said on the matter last month: “I don’t agree with that. You should be judged on how you’re doing in this moment, or else how
The safety net for the biggest clubs is the start of a potentially slippery slope towards a European super league
will teams get the opportunity to grow and develop?
“A club like Leicester, which is superbly run and has been working towards that for a number of years, shouldn’t be punished because of the drop off of other teams. “I’ve been involved in big clubs and I understand the politics that go with it, and what may try to be created to help the so-called bigger clubs that maybe have dropped off. “But for me it’s what you’re doing currently, otherwise how can you grow and develop if you’re
being punished for what you haven’t was recently shot down by European done five or six years ago?” Clubs Association (ECA) and UEFA’s plans are to be discussed Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, by its executive committee on who said that 20-club domestic Wednesday, with the Club Competitions leagues have too many sides competing Committee – on which both in them. Manchester United executive vicechairman The Premier League has already Ed Woodward and Man rejected the idea of cutting its member City CEO Ferran Soriano sit – set to clubs by two, while the FA is said recommend the changes. The proposals to have voiced its opposition to the are then expected to be busy schedule the new system will approved in their entirety when an create. official decision is made on April UEFA has reportedly argued that 19. the proposed system represents a The plan’s biggest critics compromise from the ECA’s original have argued that the new format plan to have 14 group matches. will place extra pressure The European Leagues, which on the football calendar due represents the continent’s domestic to the increased amount of leagues, has been putting pressure games, which on UEFA to change the access plan would see to allow more national champions matches also of smaller nations and a maximum taking place of five clubs from any one country – in January. yet its president, Lars-Christer Olsson, This suggestion admitted last week that their power was limited.