SM
Brighton vs. Man City: 18 hrs 45 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

New 36-team Champions League 'set to be approved at start of next week'

:Headline: New 36-team Champions League 'set to be approved at start of next week':
The new format would start in 2024 and run until at least 2033.
Sports Mole

UEFA’s plan for a revamped 36-team Champions League will be discussed on Monday, with its executive committee expected to agree the controversial proposal.

The new format, which is set to start in 2024 and run until at least 2033, moved a step nearer on Friday following meetings between the European Club Association board and UEFA’s club competitions committee.

The so-called ‘Swiss model’ will see teams compete in one 36-team league – instead of the current system where 32 sides are split into eight pools of four – and guarantee each club 10 matches on a seeded basis.

The new format, which guarantees clubs four more games than in the current group phase, takes the Champions League from 125 to 225 matches and would create a huge headache for domestic schedulers.

EFL chairman Rick Parry says it would be a “major threat” to the Carabao Cup and the Football Association also wrote to UEFA to express its concerns.

Fans groups, including those from Manchester United and Arsenal, said in an open letter to ECA chairman and Juventus boss Andrea Agnelli, the plan to restructure the Champions League “present a serious threat to the entire game”.

The letter, signed by 17 fans’ groups from 14 teams whose clubs are in the ECA, including Ajax, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, said it was a “blatant power grab” and would “wreck domestic calendars”.

Manchester City won the 2020 Carabao Cup but EFL chairman Rick Parry has warned the competition could be a victim of an expanded Champions League (John Walton/PA)

The new format would see the league’s top eight qualify automatically for the last-16 knockout stage, with the teams finishing ninth and 24th playing off for the remaining eight places.

Extra games would see the Champions League encroach into January – a month usually kept free for domestic club football – while the allocation of two of the extra four places to sides based on previous European performance has also proved controversial.

A team could still qualify for the Champions League based on ‘historic co-efficient’ as long as they did enough domestically to finish in a Europa League or Europa Conference League position.

Discussions over the commercial control of the competition are set to continue in the coming weeks.

But the plans could face problems, with reports that five English clubs are among 11 teams who have signed up to a breakaway European Super League.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have signed up to the breakaway plan according to The Times, with only Manchester City of the ‘Big Six’ said not to have done so.

Reports in January suggested 20 clubs – 15 permanent founding members and five other clubs, who would qualify on an annual basis – would be offered up to £310million each to join the competition.

The format would see two groups of 10 clubs who play home and away, with the top four from each group going through to two-legged quarter-finals, semi-finals and a one-legged final.

Matches would be midweek and clubs would still play in domestic leagues and have rights to show four matches a season on their own digital platforms across the world.

TV presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “If this is true it will have huge ramifications on the game. Huge.”

body check tags ::

amp_article__443683 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-04-18 14:34:50:
html db last update - 2021-04-18 11:30:16 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Click here for more stories about Rick Parry

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Share this article now:


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!
Read more about Rick Parry Andrea Agnelli Football
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
Everton claim derby spoils to deal major blow to Liverpool's title hopes
Best Football Betting sites in the UK for April 2024: Where can you place your bets?
Mateta hits brace in Crystal Palace victory over Newcastle

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


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.

history www

This weekend's permutations: Who can be crowned champions, win promotion or suffer relegation?

NEW

1

TW

Chelsea 'make enquiry about RB Leipzig defender'

2

C'

Liverpool 'could confirm next manager by this weekend'

NEW

3

L'

Everton claim derby spoils to deal major blow to Liverpool's title hopes

4

EC

Fernandes inspires Man Utd to comeback win over spirited Sheff Utd

5

FI

Team News: Brighton vs. Man City injury, suspension list, predicted XIs

6

TN

Preview: Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid - prediction, team news, lineups

7

PR

Ten-man Bournemouth triumph over Wolves

8

TB

Ratcliffe 'ready to sanction 12 exits in Man Utd summer sale'

9

R'

Fulham 'retain interest in Stuttgart attacker'

10

F'


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