SPURS VS JOSE? THE RELUCTANT WAR FOR THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

UEFA’S bid to spread the love has sprouted a third European competition for 2021- 22 and beyond – and it might just present a tasty reunion from the off

For the first time in half a century, a new European club competition begins in early July – potentially leading to a showdown between Tottenham and Jose Mourinho.

A fresh continental tournament hasn’t been launched since the UEFA Cup replaced the Inter- Cities Fairs Cup back in 1971, but Europe’s governing body is introducing the Europa Conference League – largely to give clubs from smaller nations more opportunity to play European football up to Christmas.

The idea of reintroducing a third club competition throughout the season – for the first time since the demise of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999 – was first mooted six years ago during Michel Platini’s final days of presidency. Platini had previously reformed Champions League qualification to give smaller countries a greater chance of representation in the group stage – given that UEFA presidential elections are one vote per country, keeping more nations sweet has never been the worst idea.

The French great was banned from football two weeks after the Conference League idea went public, but Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin was elected as his replacement by similarly winning the popularity of Europe’s smaller countries.

It all means that the Europa League will be slimmed down from this season onwards, with only two qualifying rounds beginning on August 5, leading to a reduced group stage featuring 32 teams instead of 48.

Instead, non- champions from UEFA’S 39 lowest- ranked countries will go directly into qualifying for the Conference League, which is scheduled to begin on July 8. Among the clubs playing in the first qualifying round will be Welsh trio TNS, Bala Town and Newtown, plus Coleraine, Glentoran and Larne from Northern Ireland, and Dundalk, Bohemians and Sligo from the Republic of Ireland.

Each of Europe’s top 16 countries is also intended to have at least one direct entrant every season, although Villarreal – seventh in La Liga – won the Europa League to qualify for the Champions League instead.

Two years after making it all the way to the Champions League final, seventh- place Premier League finishers Tottenham have qualified for Europe’s third competition – as have Roma, now led by two- time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho.

At the time of writing, the possible bans of Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid from the Champions League (“these clubs are like children,” sniffed UEFA president Ceferin) had some potential to alter qualification places, but Tottenham and Roma were the two early favourites to reach the Conference League final – bringing the particularly tasty prospect of a Tottenham vs Jose grudge match in the glamorous location of Tirana’s Air Albania Stadium next May.

A FRESH CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT HASN’T LAUNCHED SINCE THE UEFA CUP IN 1971

Spurs begin in the Conference League’s play- off round on August 19, alongside the likes of Rennes and Union Berlin. Meanwhile, Rubin Kazan, Anderlecht and Trabzonspor are among the strongest names to enter in the third qualifying round, while Basel, Feyenoord and Partizan Belgrade start in the second qualifying round on July 22 – as do Aberdeen and Hibernian. Rather confusingly, Hibernians of Malta could also reach that stage if they win their first- round tie.

Thankfully, there’s nothing else confusing about the competition – well, apart from the fact that a whole load of other clubs will join the Conference League when they lose their various Champions League and Europa League qualifying ties. Many are likely to be champions from the smaller nations, who could take up to 10 of the 32 spots in the group stage, which begins on September 16. As an example, a possible group for Spurs could pit them against Greece’s PAOK, North Macedonian champions Shkendija and the table- toppers in Gibraltar, Lincoln Red Imps.

Matches will be screened via BT Sport on Thursday evenings alongside the Europa League – group winners progress directly to the last 16 in March, with second- placed teams facing February play- offs against clubs who finish third in their Europa League group.

There are similar changes to the Europa League’s format, with only group winners going through to the last 16, and clubs that finish second progressing to play- off clashes against third- place finishers from Champions League groups. Got it?

Time will tell whether the new Conference League is competitive, or whether the bigger sides take a processional march to the latter stages. If it’s anything like the Intertoto Cup, expect chaos…