A hybrid between the Champions League and the Super League...

Concerned about what Aleksander Ceferin branded “a handful of oligarchs” (so small that they could fit in a taxi), UEFA has engineered a reform of the Champions League - a move which it actually announced a  while back, precipitating the false start of the so-called Super League. Now he has launched it, with a little tweaking here and there. It’s an attempt to meet the requests of the richest clubs in the richest countries - among whom, the Super League plot emerged, as well as giving more breathing space to those who aren’t so rich. It’s an attempt to appease the revolt which festered for months and burst like a bad carbuncle due to the opposition of British fans - their indignation provoked the withdrawal of the ‘Big Six’ within hours.

After looking closely at UEFA’s attempts to pacify and appease, there are a number of things which I don’t like. There are more games, more dates, a busier calendar... A league comprising four groups. A league with one single classification, but in which not every team has to play each other. A very regimented Swiss system but far removed from football’s practicality and simplicity. At the end of the league phase, the teams in 9th to 24th will drop down to 16th. Once that phase is over, those classified from 1st to 8th will face off in the Round of 16, based on a system involving heads of series and two routes. It’s similar to the tennis model - the first and second-placed during the first phase would not be able to face each other until the final.

I liked the Champions League format that we had in place - the model which we arrived at following years of evolution from the original concept - a tournament featuring just one champion per country and knockout rounds. I fear that the first phase of this project will become tedious; with only two clear boundaries - from 8th to 9th and from 24th and 25th, that could make for a lot of minor games. And if it is true that the opening phase will incorporate games between teams from pot 1, it will also increase the likelihood of matches against teams from weaker pots. The Super League project seemed sacrilegious to me from start to finish, but I don’t know if this new format will work or if it will result in some kind of sterile hybrid of the two.