SM
Bradford vs. Notts County: 8 hrs 41 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Ed Woodward: 'Manchester United are not in talks over European Premier League'

:Headline: Ed Woodward: 'Manchester United are not in talks over European Premier League': ID:419213: from db_amp
He says United are in regular dialogue with ECA and UEFA over potential changes to the Champions League from 2024.

Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has denied being involved in talks over a breakaway European Premier League, but says the club are part of discussions over an expanded Champions League from 2024 onwards.

United and Liverpool were named in reports on Tuesday as being among the clubs in talks over the new competition, which was said to be backed by American investment bank JP Morgan.

Woodward addressed the issue on a conference call with investors after the club published their year-end financial results.

“You might have read a story about whether the Champions League may go to 36 teams. They're the conversations that we're actively involved in.”
- Ed Woodward

"I saw the reports on that and candidly don't know where that story came from, but there isn't really anything for us to say," he said.

"We are engaged on a very regular basis through my role with the ECA (European Club Association) and UEFA with those two entities, talking about potential changes to the Champions League from 2024 onwards.

"You might have read a story about whether the Champions League may go to 36 teams. They're the conversations that we're actively involved in so I can't comment on your question."

A number of bodies within the continental game view the reports of a breakaway as part of the usual negotiating pattern which arises when a change in format is proposed to the Champions League.

Reports said the competition could feature up to 18 teams, start as early as 2022 and run during the regular European season.

UEFA, and its president Aleksander Ceferin, has expressed its opposition to any suggested European Super League (Niall Carson/PA)

That would immediately create a conflict with the Champions League, and UEFA said it strongly opposed the plan. It went on to say that any Super League would "inevitably become boring" because it would feature the same teams, seemingly without the jeopardy of relegation.

The Premier League declined to comment. Its clubs have been publicly unanimous in opposing anything which threatens the primacy of domestic football, with the competition still hugely valuable to broadcasters.

The league is understood to be open to reforms of the European club game that are mutually and widely beneficial, and has engaged in the discussions over the future format of European club competitions through umbrella body European Leagues.

FIFA was reported as having backed the plans for a breakaway competition, and is privately unhappy that its statement on Tuesday was not interpreted as a straightforward denial of any involvement.

The world governing body's executives are understood to view the reports that they have backed it as nonsense. The reports come at a time when FIFA is still working out the commercial arrangements around its plans for an expanded Club World Cup.

The first such event was due to take place in China next summer, but has been indefinitely delayed after Euro 2020 and the Copa America were pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ECA and European Leagues declined to comment on Tuesday's reports.

amp_article__419213 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-10-21 14:12:03:
html db last update - 2021-03-08 23:37:48 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Ed Woodward

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Share this article now:
Read more about Ed Woodward Football
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .