UEFA plot money-spinning new mini tournament in USA to promote the Champions League, featuring previous winner and three other major clubs despite fixture congestion fears
- UEFA want to cash in on a new format of competition staged in the United States
- L’Equipe report they are planning event involving winner of Champions League
- It would also feature three other leading clubs but nothing is set in stone
- There have been complaints already about concerns over player welfare
UEFA are reportedly planning a brand new money-spinning mini tournament in the United States featuring the winner of the Champions League.
As it stands, European football’s governing body have nothing set in stone but are plotting to hold the competition in the USA.
According to L’Equipe, UEFA want to have tournament shortly before the Champions League begins and it would feature the previous winner along with three other leading clubs.
Alexander Ceferin, UEFA president, admitted the new format could replace the Super Cup
The mini tournament would feature the winner of the previous Champions League
The French publication also claim that the idea was floated to broadcasters bidding on the right to televise the Champions League from 2024-27.
The mini tournament would have two semi-finals and a final and proposals suggest it would take place in August.
The UNFP, the Union of Professional Footballers in France, has already criticised UEFA’s proposal.
There are major fears about adding to fixture congestion and the club and international calendar is already at breaking point.
The Champions League format is set to change and expand to 36 clubs from 32 anyway
‘The European body only wants to line its pockets with no regard for the health of the players, and with no regard for the spectacle of footbal,’ UNFP said in a statement.
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin previously admitted one option would be to adapt the current Super Cup game between the Champions League and Europa League winners, making it a four-team competition.
He said: ‘That is a possibility, for sure. Now, who will play exactly we cannot tell for sure yet.
‘This is one of the ideas that we will do something more with that at the beginning of the season, or before the start of the season.’
UEFA will look to allay fears that it would mean more games added to the congested calendar
Major changes are already coming to the Champions League, with the leading club competition in football expanding to 36 teams from 32 from the 2024-25 season.
They will all be together in one pool with each team playing eight matches, all against different opponents, compared to eight groups of four teams playing six matches each at present.
Real Madrid will play Eintracht Frankfurt in this year’s Super Cup in Helsinki on August 10.