Champions League blow for UEFA chief
NEW UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin will not be able to change the Champions League format for at least five years, according to sources close to the executive committee.
Ceferin is the little-known Slovenian lawyer who last week replaced charismatic France legend Michel Platini as UEFA chief, garnering votes on the back of anger from smaller nations at a new Champions League deal which favours English, German, Italian and Spanish clubs and gives them 16 of the 32 group-stage slots from 2018. But the deal, brokered by FA vice chairman David Gill, was explained in more depth last week at a seminar following the election of Ceferin.
Members of UEFA’s executive committee, who have already agreed the deal with the major clubs and their representative body, the European Club Association, believe their explanation went some way to defusing the anger of the smaller federations. But it did little to placate European Leagues supremo Lars-Christer Olsson.
‘It’s a scandal,’ said Olsson, head of European Professional Football Leagues, which includes the Premier League. ‘It was all too rushed. Why is UEFA surrendering to the top clubs? We are asking UEFA to start the process again. There has been no proper consultation. We have an understanding with UEFA but if we terminate this our leagues will be able to play when they like.
‘This is not just sabre-rattling, it’s a serious threat.’
In the seminar, at which Gill spoke, it was spelt out that the threat of a breakaway league by bigger clubs was credible and UEFA had at least negotiated a deal which continued the flow of money to smaller nations.
Ceferin’s revolt against the new Champions League format was the centre-piece of his election campaign but he will have wait until 2021, when the deal runs out, to make major changes, though he may not be president then. Ceferin will complete Platini’s four-year term until 2019, with the former president forced out in disgrace.