Nyon (AP) – UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has spoken out in favor of introducing a final tournament for the best four teams in the Champions League.
“That could be great. And efficient with a view to the income, if it is done correctly, ”said the 53-year-old head of the European Football Union of the French sports daily“ L’Équipe ”. “We are discussing it, but nothing has been decided yet.”
In contrast to the previous mode with semi-finals with home and away legs, the Final Four could take place in one place from the 2024/25 season. This could be a “fantastic event” with a week of football, Ceferin said of the benefits. However, the clubs would lose home games and the fewer games would mean fewer TV broadcasts. There is no “urgency,” as Ceferin said, when it comes to a possible decision. A decision could not be made for a year.
Most recently, UEFA decided to reform the Champions League from 2024. Then 36 instead of the previous 32 teams will take part in the preliminary round, and there will be a total of 100 more games.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the previous premier class season ended with a final tournament from the quarter-finals in Lisbon. Postponing the European Championship by a year cost UEFA between 100 and 200 million euros, said Ceferin.
In the interview, the Slovenian was confident that a luxury tax system based on the model of American sport can be introduced in European football. Think about it “very seriously,” said Ceferin. In several US professional leagues, such as the NBA basketball league, an additional fine must be paid for every dollar spent on salaries above a certain limit.
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