PARIS: While the battle for the Champions League of the future is fought behind the scenes, this week the continent’s biggest clubs begin their latest quest for European glory with holders Liverpool dreaming of reaching another final in Istanbul.
The current 32-team group stage format leading to a knockout round of 16 was introduced in 2003. Since then, an ever smaller group of clubs has competed to win the trophy, with the last 15 champions coming from Spain, England, Germany or Italy.
There is a consensus that it is time for a change, and the European Club Association, chaired by Juventus chief Andrea Agnelli, has been busy working with Uefa on plans to completely revamp the competition from 2024. Moves towards even more of a closed shop for the elite have stalled because of dissent from some clubs and from domestic leagues, but change is coming.
tory to find their place in the European football scene,” said Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar last week.
Of course Ajax have extra determination to ensure their voice is heard. The Dutch champions enchanted Europe on their run to the semi-finals last season but entered this season’s tournament in the third qualifying round. There was no special treatment for them.
Meanwhile, for the likes of Agnelli’s Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the Champions League has become the be all and end all due to a lack of competition domestically.
It is easy to see why they might like more games against the best teams from around Europe, along with more money. For now, the Champions League winners stand to take home around 75 million euros ($83 million; £66.6 million). On top of that will be added considerable sums from television along with money depending on each team’s Uefa ranking. – AFP
