European Leagues Urge UEFA to Make Champions League Fairer

Date: 19 October 2018 - 21:13

News ID: ۵۸۶۷۰

GENEVA (AP) - The European Leagues group has urged UEFA to allocate club competition entries and billions in Champions League prize money more fairly.
The leagues' proposal on Friday includes reversing changes which took effect this season giving four guaranteed Champions League group-stage places to Spain, England, Italy, and Germany, plus more guaranteed prize money to storied clubs with European titles dating back decades.
It seeks to help close a widening wealth gap among European soccer clubs, and follows UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin's aim to achieve greater ''competitive balance'' in international and domestic events.
The leagues also want weekends to stay protected for domestic competitions, prohibiting Champions League games except the final, which has been played on Saturdays since 2010.
The 28-nation group wants its ideas to feed into ongoing UEFA consultations for a planned new competition kicking off in 2021 when changes can next be introduced.
UEFA has suggested 32-team group stages in the Champions League, Europa League, and an unnamed third event. The plan could be approved at a Dec. 3 executive committee meeting in Dublin.
The project is supported by the influential European Club Association, which pushed UEFA to approve the last round of changes in 2016 weeks before Ceferin was elected.
Fairer shares of prize money and solidarity payments are needed to help competitions stay competitive, the European Leagues group said after a six-monthly assembly in Frankfurt, Germany.