UEFA are considering changing the group stages of the Champions League in 2024, according to reports in the English media.
The new proposals include just one league of 32 or 36 clubs. Each team would play ten teams at random, with five games at home and five away. The top 16 clubs would then qualify for the knockout stages, with the team finishing 1st playing 16th place, 2nd playing 15th etc.
It is believed that the “Swiss System”, as it is known, will be tabled in the next two weeks with both the European Club Association (ECA) and the European Leagues organisation said to be open to the change. Supporters on Twitter are very much against the proposed plan:
This is becoming a joke now! i swear 20 years down line the game will be completely gone
— Big Era (@iameric_3) December 1, 2020
Basically every manager-We need to play less
Football boards like UEFA-We hear you, let’s play another 20 mates a season.
— Jonathan (@Jonathanctid) December 1, 2020
More injuries, more games, hard than it already is.. for what, more cash flow for the shareholders!
— natee (@nateew97) December 1, 2020
Champions leagues should only involve the champions of the top leagues, Europa league winners and the former CL winner. Every team 2nd to 5th goes to the Europa league.
— TheBetterKoivu (@Ragingarab99) December 1, 2020
Sadly think it’s inevitable that there will be tiered European super leagues with probs 1 midweek game every week or something.
— Skoosh82 (@skoosh82) December 1, 2020
Awful idea pic.twitter.com/2gd6DYjDfc
— Spooky Prof. Skittles (@JSkittles8) December 2, 2020
Euro League
— Dermot O’Logical (@o_logical) December 1, 2020
Do they have time to schedule all these games?
— Irie Ites ?? (@Conversator) December 1, 2020
This would have a huge impact on English football. Adding four more group games would effectively stop teams from the Premier League participating in the Carabao Cup while there would be question marks over the FA Cup as well.