The Champions League "is to undergo what could be a major revamp" after UEFA confirmed it would decide in December on proposed changes to its elite club competition, according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The director of competitions for European football’s governing body revealed a format for the '18-21 seasons of the Champions League would be determined "by the end of the year." Giorgio Marchetti’s pronouncement "followed behind-closed-doors meetings involving senior club officials." Amendments on the table "range from tweaks to the Champions League’s entry criteria to the introduction of a fully-fledged European Super League," although more likely is an overhaul of a group stage many believe "has become stale and is holding back UEFA’s ability to generate revenue." Marchetti: "We need a format by the end of the year. We are consulting and we are listening." Specific options "include more guaranteed entries for the strongest leagues, protected places for the biggest clubs, and playing matches on Saturdays rather than midweek to appeal to Asian and American audiences" (TELEGRAPH, 5/31). The AP's Graham Dunbar reported talk of a breakaway Super League "was fueled in January" by some wealthy members of the European Club Association who saw uncertainty over UEFA's leadership during the FIFA presidential election. Though an American-style closed league "is thought unrealistic, one aim is making the current 32-team group stage more attractive to the biggest clubs and global TV viewers." Change "is possible only every three years." It "must be agreed before UEFA's retained agency, TEAM Marketing, can start selling Champions League and Europa League rights to broadcasters and sponsors for the next commercial cycle." There "are concerns that a too-predictable group stage turns off viewers, and that income -- UEFA sales and top clubs' share of it -- is not keeping pace with expectations." The 32 group-stage clubs will share almost £988M ($1.4B) in prize money from UEFA each season through '18 (AP, 5/31).
