UEFAChampionsLeaguereforms
signedofffor2024-25campaign
So,in theend,the ill-conceived
EuropeanSuper Leaguedidserve a
purpose,albeitnottheoneintended
bythe “dirtydozen”– Milan,Arsenal,
AtleticoMadrid,Barcelona,Chelsea,
Internazionale,Juventus,Liverpool,
ManchesterCity, Manchester United,
RealMadridandTottenhamHotspur.
Thepanicinducedbythechaotic
launchinAprillastyeardroveUEFA
andthe EuropeanClubAssociation
(ECA) to endtheirtediousdiplomatic
danceandnaildownthe Champions
Leagueoftomorrow.
Thismeansexpansion.More
teams.Morematches. More money.
Therelentlessmarchofgrandiosity
iscommonacrossall of football.FIFA’s
WorldCuphasledtheway, fattening
upto 48 teamsinCanada,Mexico
andthe UnitedStatesin 20 26.
Hence UEFA,from 20 24-25,will
rampupthe ChampionsLeague
groupstagefrom 32 clubsto36,
witheachplayingeightmatches
insteadofthecurrentsix.
Anyconcept of scarcityvalue
wastrampled long agobeneath
thedemandsoffootballpopulism.
Everyoneinvolvedinthegame,
asplayersorofficialsorfans,
shouldtakeprideinthe passionit
engendersatevery levelofsociety.
UEFAandthe ECAagreeda
newformatinthe nickoftimeon
theeveofcongressin May. Timewas
runningoutbecauseofa pressing
needtosealall themulti-million
broadcastingand sponsorship
contracts forthenewdeal’s
kick-off in 2024-25.
Everythingcouldhavebeen
signedoff a yearago or more.One
reasonfor thedelay – apart from
thelogisticalproblemscreatedby
thepandemic– wastheclubs’
inabilitytopresentaunited front.
Theelite wantedguaranteesof
participation, more matchesand
moremoneyforthemselves;middle
andlower-rankingclubswanteda
largersliceofthecashcow.
Impatienceatthisstalemate
provokedAndreaAgnelliofJuventus
andFlorentinoPerezof RealMadrid
togallopupthe SuperLeague
cul-de-sac.RememberthatAgnelli
wasthenpresidentoftheECAand
RealMadridhelda vice-presidency.
OncetheSuperLeaguehadbeen
haltedbypopulardemandand
Agnelliremoved,a farmore skilled
negotiator in NasserAlKhelaifi
tookupthe ECAhelmand
sorted it withUEFA.
AlKhelaifiisnotonlypresident
ofParisSaint-Germainbut CEOof
Qatar’s wealthyandpowerfulbeIN
THEWORLD THISMONTH
THEINSIDER
Keir
RADNEDGE
MediaGroup.Heisbetter-versedin
theartofdeal-makingthananyone
elseinworldfootball.
Oneof thefascinationsofthe
revampedChampionsLeaguewill
bethe useofthe so-called“Swiss
system”.Thiscouldberevolutionary
forthegame.
Football’scompetitive formats
aresimple,long-establishedand
unimaginative.Onlytwo exist:the
leaguesysteminwhicheveryone
playseveryoneelse,andthe
directelimination,knockoutcup
arrangement. Theplay-off option
permits a balancingofnumbers.
FIFA,forexample,usedplay-offsin
thegroupstageofboth the 1954
and 1958 WorldCup finals;UEFA
employsplay-offs to maintainthe
drama(andavoiddeadmatches)
inits Euro qualifyingcompetitions.
TheEuropeanChampionsCup
beganasa two-legknockout
14 WORLDSOCCER
Changesafoot...
theChampions
Leaguereforms
willarrivein 2024
Anyconceptofscarcityvaluewastrampledlong
agobeneaththedemandsoffootballpopulism
