12 European giants "make a new start" European football caused an uproar
UEFA responds to the UEFA Champions League: in 2024 the UEFA Champions League will expand to 36 teams
Less than 20 hours after 12 European giants announced that they "started from scratch" and created the European Super League, UEFA announced on the 19th the restructuring plan of the UEFA Champions League. From 2024, it will expand to 36 teams and the group stage will be changed to the Swiss system.
After the restructuring, there will be 100 more Champions League matches each season than before.
This move by UEFA is also seen as a tit-for-tat response to the announcement of the establishment of the Super League by 12 giant clubs.
12 European giants announced
Create the European Super League
In the early morning of the 19th local time, 12 European clubs jointly announced the creation of the European Premier League. These 12 clubs include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid in La Liga, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and the Premier League. Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan in Serie A.
Although UEFA has previously warned these 12 clubs and threatened to expel these clubs from existing national leagues and European wars, and prohibit their players from participating in national team games, it still failed to prevent these 12 clubs from playing. Decided.
UEFA makes no concessions
The Champions League restructuring plan passed
Earlier, there were media reports that the main reason for the 12 clubs to choose to "fire" at this time was to oppose UEFA's upcoming UEFA Champions League restructuring.
However, UEFA did not seem to make any concessions. The Executive Committee meeting on the 19th opened, and the UEFA Champions League reform plan was passed.
At the meeting that day, UEFA President Ceferin made a tough statement again. He said: "In the past 24 hours, we have seen shameful and selfish suggestions made by some clubs purely out of greed."
Ceferin once again reiterated that all club players participating in this Premier League will be banned from participating in any level of national team competitions, including the World Cup and European Championships.
The president of the UEFA Champions League says he is "saving football"
Real Madrid will not be kicked out of the Champions League
In response to this situation, especially when players may be banned from participating in club games and the World Cup, Florentino, as the president of the UEFA Super League, explained that he gave everyone a "reassurance" in a football program. .
Florentino said: "All players can rest assured, because this will not happen. UEFA is a monopolistic organization and must be transparent. UEFA has no good image in history, so we must have a dialogue between us. Instead of threatening each other. Believe me, Real Madrid will not be kicked out of the Champions League, that’s for sure. Nor will Manchester City, and no one will be kicked out of the Champions League. The law protects us, and this is not legally allowed."
As for the concerns of the outside world, these 12 clubs participate in the so-called UEFA Super League to make money. Florentino also said that they are "saving football."
As for when this competition will start, the real estate crocodile said that August is the best time, because everything is basically ready.
Foreign media analysis
The Sun
Other Premier League clubs want to expel these 6 teams
According to the British "Sun" news, six Premier League clubs have joined the UEFA Champions League, making other Premier League clubs very angry, and want to expel these six clubs from the Premier League.
In a meeting of the other 14 clubs on Tuesday, the teams agreed to require Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham to withdraw from the Premier League at the end of the season.
According to the rules of the Premier League, if you want to expel any of the 6 clubs from the Premier League, you need three-quarters of the 20 clubs to vote.
In other words, even if the other 14 clubs all support this proposal, there will still be a lack of votes.
However, another rule in the rules gives the executive power and decision-making power of the alliance board of directors, that is, CEO Masters, chairman Hoffman and non-executive director Beeston have independent and absolute executive power and can make binding decisions. The final ruling is strong and cannot be appealed.
But before this, the Premier League, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, has never used this final ruling method.
"Team News"
UEFA considers splitting the opposing camp in two
According to the latest news from the French “Team Daily”, while UEFA is thinking about sanctions against the 12 founding teams of the UEFA, it also considered the plan to split the opposing camp into two, that is, to persuade some teams to give up participating. The idea of the European Super League.
According to reports, UEFA’s current vision is to persuade some teams that are not so determined and to induce them to return by promising not to sanction them.
"Team Daily" believes that if UEFA can "recruit" two or three teams, then the UEFA Super League project will be disintegrated.
In UEFA's current vision, there is a saying that Atletico Madrid and Manchester City are the weakest links in the founding clubs, and they may be potential targets for UEFA to implement this plan.
Bild
Bayern, Dortmund and Porto are expected to "resurrect"
German "Bild" revealed that UEFA will formally hold a meeting this Friday to discuss the topic of expelling Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City from the Champions League this season. These teams that have already advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season are likely Forced to terminate the Champions League journey.
While the top three may be expelled, the range of alternate places has also been determined. Once the worst situation mentioned above occurs, the three teams that have left the Champions League quarter-finals, Bayern, Dortmund, and Porto, are expected to achieve a "resurrection." ", replacing Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City to continue to play in the Champions League this season.
Industry voice
The Liverpool coach did not directly call "no"
Chelsea coach shows helplessness
In the Premier League game that ended in the early hours of the morning, Liverpool drew 1-1 with rivals Leeds United. Compared to the game itself, the participation of the defending Premier League champions in the UEFA Champions League is obviously a topic of more concern to the outside world. The team coach Klopp is in an interview. Shi said he opposed the decision: "My opinion has not changed. I heard about the formation of the UEFA Super League the day before. At that time, I was busy preparing for the game against Leeds United. Now I know some information. I think it is. It will be difficult. People are not happy about this plan, and I can understand it. But I can’t say too much, because we are not involved at all. We don’t know the details, neither the players nor me. We have to wait to see how things go. Development.” Although it seems that Klopp did not directly shout “no”, in fact, as early as 2019, he made it clear that he was not interested in the so-called Super League organized by the giants because that was not the right choice. .
The top 12 coaches who also came out to speak and Chelsea coach Tuchel, the German said that now the team has been troubled by this matter.
He said: "All we can do is to stay focused, but it is difficult. I think it is impossible for the players not to be affected. I hope we can keep calm and let the players not be disturbed. This matter is beyond our control. It’s not what we should worry about or be responsible for.” From Tuchel’s words, it’s not difficult to hear his helplessness. The club’s top management allowed the team to participate in the UEFA Champions League, but the final result is likely to be that the players have no ball to play. No one is willing to take the risk, and such an event will certainly not be recognized by most people.
Bayern welcomes Champions League reform
Dortmund refused to establish the UEFA Champions League
The two invited Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Dortmund did not announce their participation.
And just after UEFA announced the Champions League reform plan in the early hours of the morning, the two teams expressed their attitude and supported the reform.
Bayern’s chairman Rummenigge said: “Bayern Football Club welcomes the reform of the Champions League because we think it is the right step in the development of European football. The reformed qualification matches will make the game more intense and exciting.”
Rummenigge also responded to Florentino's attitude: "I don't think the Super League can solve the economic problems of European clubs caused by the epidemic. On the contrary, all clubs in Europe should unite to ensure cost. The structure, especially the salaries of players, is kept reasonable, and income needs to be adjusted to make European football more rational."
Dortmund’s CEO Watzke also said: “ECA (European Club Association) hopes to implement the Champions League’s innovative plan. The clear opinion of the ECA board members is to reject the plan to establish the Super League. The ECA board, Bayern Munich and Dortmund and the representatives participating in the discussion The views are 100% consistent."
Wenger calls the Super League a bad idea
Figo said "it is undoubtedly a disaster"
If the two current coaches still have any scruples, then the Frenchman Wenger, who has retired at home, has nothing to dare to talk about. He said that hosting the UEFA Super League is a bad idea.
Wenger said: "I want to say that this is a bad idea. Football must remain united. This is the most important. The history and competitive advantages of European football must be respected. I don't know what is behind the scenes. There may be more dangerous behind the scenes. Thinking, this is a huge threat to the Premier League. When I was coaching, other countries had a lot of actions to weaken the dominance of the Premier League, and projects like the UEFA would obviously accelerate this."
Figo, a former Portuguese star who has played for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan, even said that if the UEFA Super League is held, it will undoubtedly be a disaster for football.
He said: "This is a greedy and ruthless decision. They will kill some small clubs, grassroots football, women's football. All the funds and resources are concentrated in the hands of these big clubs, and small clubs will become more and more difficult. This This move is just to serve the selfish clubs. They forget the roots, forget the fans, and completely ignore the value and spirit of sports." It is worth mentioning that the three giants he played for in his career are exactly those of the European Super League. The founding club, don't know how they will react when they learn of Figo's statement?
Text/Reporter Zhang Kunlong Coordinator/Du Rui