UEFA reveals competition changes
Champions League will expand; UEFA Cup, Cup Winners' Cup will unite
Posted: Tuesday October 06, 1998 04:25 PM
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UEFA president Lennart Johansson, shown accepting Portugal's bid to host the Euro 2004 finals, hopes expansion will fend off the challenge of the Super League |
LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- UEFA revealed plans Tuesday to spice up its soccer competition in a bid to retain control over European soccer which is being challenged by a proposed rival Super League that boasts it would generate much more money.
The European Champions League will be extended next season to include 32 clubs playing in eight groups of four teams in the first stage, European soccer's governing body announced after a meeting here. The competition currently comprises 24 teams.
The new format will include more teams from Europe's top-ranking soccer nations while also incorporating more teams from smaller nations, broadening the potential television audience for games.
Teams from 48 European nations will be eligible to take part. The number of clubs will depend on each country's UEFA ranking, though there will be a limit of four from any single UEFA member country.
"In this new proposal, nobody will lose anything," UEFA President Lennart Johansson told a news conference.
"We are in a position to give more to the top associations and to open the door wider to the smaller associations," he said.
Meanwhile, the UEFA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup will be merged into one competition, called the UEFA Cup, though details still have to be worked out, Johansson said.
The shakeup was part of UEFA's effort to dissuade Europe's top clubs from defecting to the breakaway Super League proposed by a private sports management company which is enticing the continent's top clubs with jackpot payouts.
Media Partners, based in Milan, Italy, is touting a payout of some $1.2 billion for participation in its Super League -- far more than the $322 million generated by the Champions League in 1997-98, of which only $157 million went to the clubs.
Some clubs had criticized Media Partners' plan, saying it would make the rich clubs richer and the poor clubs poorer.
Media Partners "wanted to take over the best part of our club competitions. UEFA had to react," Johansson said.
"Now the speculations about the future of European soccer must come to an end."
Johansson declined to say how much cash would be paid to the clubs under the new format, saying the potential sums would have to be calculated after negotiations with commercial interests, especially television.
However, UEFA General Secretary Gerhard Aigner said total prize money would be at least $440-590 million, with the winners pocketing $44-59 million.
Johansson said he was not concerned by the formal complaint lodged against UEFA last week by Media Partners at the European Commission, the European Union's executive arm.
The complaint alleges UEFA has abused its dominant position in organizing European soccer.
UEFA, which has run European soccer for decades and is keen to ensure the loyalty of European clubs, has threatened to suspend clubs and players who opt into the proposed Super League.
"We must be allowed to organize our own competitions," Johansson said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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