Top flight fears over UEFA’s latest plot

UEFA are on a collision course with the Premier League amid proposals to start a new four-way summer tournament for Champions League clubs. The event could be held in one city, opening the door to taking UEFA competitions outside Europe, with destinations in America and Asia likely to be considered. The tournament would be an alternative to the lucrative pre-season tours that have become the norm for top-flight teams. However, the prospect of sides getting more meaningful summer matches would have to be balanced against increased overseas travel. That is likely to divide clubs, who are already hugely concerned about player fatigue and workload. Liverpool, for instance, will play 63 matches this season and the prospect of further overseas games against elite sides could be met with caution at Anfield. Speaking earlier this week on the prospect of playing 10 Champions League group games instead of the current six, manager Jurgen Klopp said: ‘They showed it to me, the whole idea, and I said I don’t like it as there’s 10 games instead of six and I’ve no idea where we will put them in. Maybe UEFA will ask for a cup competition to get cancelled or have 18 teams in our league.’