“It will be an exclusive party for the happy few – for the biggest football brands in the world”.
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As the most successful club in European history with eleven Champions League/European Cup trophies, Real Madrid would benefit more than anyone under a points system.
The EPFL has vehemently opposed the new system, saying it is detrimental to domestic football and will increase the already large financial gap between a handful of wealthy clubs and the rest. While UEFA have confirmed the champions path, where domestic champions avoid sides from the continent’s biggest leagues, has been preserved, Doncaster echoed concerns from the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL).
Italy’s Serie A, who now only get two guaranteed group-stage places, stand to be the biggest winners of the reforms and did not have a representative at Thursday’s EPFL meeting.
With the constant threat of a breakaway European Super League, UEFA has again succumbed to pressure from top clubs by guaranteeing the four top-ranked leagues four automatic spots in the Champions League from 2018 to 2021.
The changes came amid reports that the biggest clubs had been discussing the creation of a so-called Super League. But this, too, may not help UEFA in the long run. “For their leagues there are billions at stake, for us millions”. So much so that all the top 10 teams in the Premier League last season earned more money than Real Madrid did by winning their 11 crown.
Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s two professional football leagues, said there was a “greater opportunity to generate greater revenue” with a tournament backed by the richest man in China.
But Uefa rejected the EPFL’s claims, arguing that a “wide-ranging” process took place that incorporated the views of the leagues.
While the Chinese group have explicitly denied any such breakaway league, they did acknowledge that they were looking at options to “further develop sport and business”.
At the moment, some of the proposals designed by UEFA have not been set in stone.
Olsson believes the proposed changes were rushed through due to the fear of clubs breaking away from UEFA and alterations should now be made to the changes.
Celtic ensured their participation in this year’s group stage after victory over Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
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This is the potential line-up of clubs in a new World Super League. Thinning the herd is only a matter of time and only the strongest survive. Just as they did when the Premier League was formed in 1992.
