UEFA confirm new Champions league format

[JFK-1 1,693]

On Friday Uefa confirmed that they will push ahead with previously announced plans to reform the Champions League and will provide compensation for smaller leagues affected by the changes. European football's governing body made the announcement after an executive committee meeting at their base in Nyon, Switzerland.

 

In August, European football's governing body had revealed that the continent's four leading leagues - Spain, England, Germany and Italy - would be guaranteed four places in the Champions League group stage for the period 2018-2021.

 

The move had been backed by the European Clubs Association (ECA) made up of the continent's biggest clubs but the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) body had been opposed to the changes on the basis that they overly favoured the current elite and felt they would hog the prize money as a result.

 

To ease concerns after meeting with the EPFL, UEFA's new Slovenian president Aleksander Ceferin said that the current number of berths in the Champions League would be maintained for all countries.

 

A champions back door and a hand down

 

Furthermore, domestic champions who are eliminated in the qualifying rounds will get a second chance in European competitions by entering a "dedicated champions' path" in Europa League qualification. Previously there was no second chance on offer to these teams.

 

In addition, a pool of 50 million euros (£42 million; $52.7 million) will be passed down by the Champions League to the Europa League, "and a further 10 million euros will be earmarked also from the UEFA Champions League as additional solidarity distribution for the qualifying rounds."

 

The club coefficient system will also be looked at to avoid teams from top-ranked leagues gaining an unfair advantage - for example, a club like Leicester City, with little European track record, would not benefit so much simply from coming out of the Premier League.

 

Changing the viewing routine

 

UEFA also confirmed a change to the kick-off times of matches in the group stage from 2018, with two games starting at 7pm Central European Time and six at 9pm, compared to all matches starting at 8:45pm CET in the current format.

 

http://en.as.com/en/2016/12/09/football/1481314103_008421.html

[pete 2,499]

I didn't watch much but I will not be watching one minute now unless Rangers are in it.

Edited December 15, 2016 by pete

[Norris Cole 0]

I'm not entirely sure how these changes are going to improve what has become a tired old tournament, of interest to a dwindling number of football fans.

 

Call me old fashioned but it's the Champions League so should be champions-only (they might as well call it the Money Shield these days), with four groups of four and then quarter-finals. But given that that won't satisfy the TV Corporations, who are naturally more important than your average fan, I'm well aware those days are gone forever.

 

My scepticism towards UEFA goes back to the 'second group stage', shoehorning in a load more games.

 

You can never be certain, but like the EU, I've a feeling (or should that be hope) that the days of the 'Champions League' might just be numbered.

[Uilleam 5,924]

i read, some time ago, an article about fans'perception of what was important for them, ie their team, in the following season.

In brief, and across Europe,

1. The Young Team wanted their side to win or do well in the CL;

2. The Middle Aged thought success in domestic competition(s) was paramount;

3. The older supporter, however, took the view that the most important thing was 'beating these bastards down the road'.

 

I have some sympathy with the last sentiment.

 

The CL can go hang, if Rangers is not competing.

[Gribz 837]

I'm not entirely sure how these changes are going to improve what has become a tired old tournament, of interest to a dwindling number of football fans.

 

Call me old fashioned but it's the Champions League so should be champions-only (they might as well call it the Money Shield these days), with four groups of four and then quarter-finals. But given that that won't satisfy the TV Corporations, who are naturally more important than your average fan, I'm well aware those days are gone forever.

 

My scepticism towards UEFA goes back to the 'second group stage', shoehorning in a load more games.

 

You can never be certain, but like the EU, I've a feeling (or should that be hope) that the days of the 'Champions League' might just be numbered.

 

Agree - and they wonder why the UEFA cup and Cup Winners Cup died. Had the runners up in the domestic leagues went straight into the UEFA cup you would still have the massive games of Real Madrid v Arsenal.

 

The Europa league has ruined European football for teams not in the CL. The amount of teams is laughable. They should do something with that, but the preference would be to bring the Cup winners Cup back and have 3 tournaments again. They should also move the Europa to Wednesday nights and the CL could be Tues and Thurs. Then nobody would complain. The teams playing in the CL mostly play on a Sunday domestically anyway for TV rights in England and in Spain / Italy they mostly play on Sunday anyway so a Thursday night game wouldn't make much changes and have the affects it does on the likes of Southampton, Spurs etc who just cant adapt to Thurs / Sun.

[Norris Cole 0]

Agree - and they wonder why the UEFA cup and Cup Winners Cup died. Had the runners up in the domestic leagues went straight into the UEFA cup you would still have the massive games of Real Madrid v Arsenal.

 

The Europa league has ruined European football for teams not in the CL. The amount of teams is laughable. They should do something with that, but the preference would be to bring the Cup winners Cup back and have 3 tournaments again. They should also move the Europa to Wednesday nights and the CL could be Tues and Thurs. Then nobody would complain. The teams playing in the CL mostly play on a Sunday domestically anyway for TV rights in England and in Spain / Italy they mostly play on Sunday anyway so a Thursday night game wouldn't make much changes and have the affects it does on the likes of Southampton, Spurs etc who just cant adapt to Thurs / Sun.

 

Agreed. They would have been as well binning the UEFA Cup along with the CWC instead of letting it die its current slow death.

 

It's hugely frustrating the way money has ruined European football, because they actually had the perfect formula in place: European Cup for champions, CWC for cup Winners, and UEFA Cup for 2nd/3rd/4th.

 

Take the example of Chelsea. When they won the Europa League it was so convoluted - dropping out of the Champions League, playing their second string to focus on the PL, and then by the time they won it they'd become such a financially bloated club that nobody really cared. Compare that to when they won the CWC in 1998 (or even Arsenal a few years previous) - an appropriate number of games against some weird and wonderful teams (remember them getting beat in Tromso, 350km into the Arctic Circle, with Chelsea fans being interviewed and asked their opinions on how the 'reindeer sticks' tasted, as the snow blew sideways) and some top class teams. And then when they won it it was a huge thing - memories of Johnny Vaughan on Big Breakfast the day after, just back from the game and still drunk.