display

It is around 610 kilometers from the Berlin district of Köpenick to Bad Cannstatt in Stuttgart.

And yet there are currently worlds between the two football clubs based there - at least as far as the assessment of Uefa's latest project is concerned.

While 1. FC Union eyed the Europa Conference League with suspicion, VfB can certainly imagine participating in the competition.

What unites both professional clubs: As seventh and eighth in the Bundesliga, they are, according to the current state, definitely possible for the third-class European Cup, which was launched two years ago.

At 1. FC Union they are happy that they have clearly outperformed the self-proclaimed “Big City Club” from the west of the capital this season.

But if the noble deed should actually lead to participation in the Conference League at the end of the season, the club officials would still have to advertise properly.

Midfielder Grischa Prömel recently admitted that he didn't even know the competition: "This is new to me."

"Somehow I don't feel like it"

display

Striker Max Kruse was also not very euphoric when he was asked about the next, feared insanity in the game calendar on the weekend after the 2-1 win against 1. FC Köln: "I would like the Europa League," he said.

“Somehow I didn't feel like the Europa Conference League.

I don't even know what it is.

Then others can play.

I think we have enough competitions.

And it should stay that way.

Because if there's one more, then congratulations. "

Unions Max Kruse would rather go on summer vacation than play in the Europa Conference League

Source: Pool via REUTERS

In Stuttgart, on the other hand, they would definitely appreciate a return to the international stage: "If a team qualifies for Europe, regardless of VfB Stuttgart, then you play that too," said VfB sports director Sven Mislintat on Monday.

"In all honesty, if we did it, then we would play it with full fervor." Financially, the incentive is not particularly great at first glance.

"But I don't play football to make some money and then go home."

So far, the project is still in its infancy, and it will be presented from next summer.

According to the wording of the European Football Association, the Conference League is primarily intended to give teams from less strong European leagues a boost.

“The new UEFA club competition makes access to the European Cup easier than ever.

There will be more games for more clubs and more associations than before will be represented in the group stages, ”said President Aleksander Ceferin, explaining the motivation behind the introduction of the European Cup.

He could also have said: "More coal for everyone."

Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin

Source: dpa / Manu Fernandez

display

However, the naming alone proves how difficult it was for even the Uefa, experienced in finding new sources of money through rather questionable sporting competitions, to do with their project: First of all, Europa League 2 was mentioned, only then did the eager functionaries come to Europa Conference League.

The introduction was decided in December 2018, and then finally approved in September 2019.

138 teams from the depths of the five-year ranking

138 teams from the depths of the Uefa five-year standings will initially compete in four qualifying rounds from July 8th.

After that, there will be eight groups with four teams each, followed by the play-offs of the knockout round, an eighth, quarter and semi-final, and the final on May 25, 2022. The location has already been determined: the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana with a capacity of 21,690 spectators.

Apparently, even at the Continental Association, they do not believe in a crowd of fans around the final in the Albanian capital.

The Bundesliga will also be represented by one participant.

Since only two German clubs will start in the Europa League from the coming season, the table sixth or seventh (depends on the placement of the DFB Cup winners) would make their debut in the new European Cup.

Unlike most of the representatives of smaller football nations, the Bundesliga team does not have to enter until the last qualifying round, which begins on August 19.

display

While there is still uncertainty about the prize money, the dates are at least known.

Play should be played on Thursdays at 6.45pm and 9pm.

RTL has secured the complete TV rights for the German market and wants to broadcast the new competition on the special-interest channel RTL Nitro, the partly paid streaming portal TV Now and in the broadcaster's main program.

There are a total of 15 game weeks with 141 matches.

Will someone like Kruse be seen?

The 32-year-old has played 14 international matches, has played nine times in the Champions League for VfL Wolfsburg and seven times in the Europa League for Borussia Mönchengladbach.

In terms of self-image, he could be too good for the European Cup third class.

On Sunday evening while playing computer games on the Twitch streaming platform, Kruse sarcastically followed up after his first criticism: “Conference League?

I am looking forward.

When does it start, at the beginning of July?

Shall we not have a vacation at all? "