Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

UEFA Considers Scrapping Europa League, Forming 64-Team Champions League

UEFA President Michel Platini has said that expanding the Champions League to 64 teams and scrapping the Europa League is "an option amid a wide-ranging debate over the future of its club competitions," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. Platini said that a proposal "was under discussion" about scrapping the Europa League and doubling the size of the Champions League. Platini: "There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018. We're discussing it, we will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet." However, such a "radical move" is considered unlikely because it would "reduce the number of teams in European competition overall and risk diluting the appeal of the Champions League" (GUARDIAN, 11/28).

BIG MONEY: In London, Mark Cue wrote when Platini was asked if he was concerned about the clubs setting up their own competition, he replied: “It doesn’t worry me. I can’t see how it could work outside the UEFA framework. Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play?” Europe’s top clubs are "known to be in favour of more high-profile fixtures between them." Only last week, Barcelona President Sandro Rosell called for the main domestic leagues in Europe to be cut to accommodate “a bigger Champions League.” It is "easy to see why there is such strong support for the competition." Chelsea received £49M ($78M) as they became champions of Europe last season (LONDON TIMES, 11/28).

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: In London, Simon Rice reported another proposal consideration is "offering a place in the Champions League as a prize for winning the Europa League." The prize may encourage teams, many of which rest players for Europa League matches, to "take the competition more seriously." Also under review is the current format which sees teams finishing third in the Champions League group stage dropping into the Europa League's last-32. The practice has "often been criticised for devaluing the Europa League as well as being unfair on those that have battled through the group stages to make the later round" (INDEPENDENT, 11/28).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2012/11/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Champions-League.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2012/11/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Champions-League.aspx

CLOSE