Champions League: League association is against European Cup
The merger of the European football leagues has once again spoken out against parts of the reform of the European Cup competitions from 2024.
“The leagues are the backbone of European football,” said Claus Thomsen, the chairman of the European Leagues during a press conference. Specifically, he criticized the significant increase in the number of champions League games and the proposal that two clubs can qualify for the premier class due to their successes in the past.
The European Football Union decided to reform from the 2024/25 season last year. Instead of 32, 36 teams will take part in the group phase of the Champions League, which is then played in the league system. There will be a total of 100 more games.
“Such an increase will harm the vast majority of the clubs and only very few benefits,” said Thomsen, who pointed out the good exchange with the UEFA. The UEFA Executive Committee meets in Vienna in mid-May, as well as the UEFA Congress.
From the point of view of the merger of the leagues, which also includes the German Football League DFL, only “Leagueing criteria” should decide on the qualification. “These are the heart and soul of football. That is why fans are enthusiastic about football every weekend,” said Thomsen.
According to the criticized proposal, two clubs would not qualify for their placement in the league for the Champions League, but – if they missed the European Cup starting site – about the coefficients of the past few years. That would represent a kind of safety net for large clubs that play a bad season.