By Andrew Warshaw
October 5 – Top leagues from across European football today moved closer to all-out war with UEFA over plans to revamp the Champions League. Urgent talks between the head of the umbrella body for Europe’s leagues and new UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin are due to take place in the next 48 hours with the genuine threat of a free-for-all if the controversial deal favouring Europe’s elite clubs is not modified or scrapped.
Under the three-season deal struck between UEFA and the European Club Association and starting in 2018, more group stage places will be set aside for teams from the top four leagues and fewer for clubs from smaller leagues, partly in order to stave off a much-threatened European Super League. Additionally, a club’s coefficient in terms of how it has performed historically in European competition will determine how much money it receives.
But Lars-Christer Olsson (pictured), head of the 25-strong European Professional Football Leagues – which includes all the top leagues across the Continent – says that if UEFA refuses to unpick the arrangement, the consequences could be highly damaging when his members meet in two weeks’ time.
Repeating previous complaints about the leagues not being consulted, Olsson, UEFA’s former chief executive who is gradually turning the previously toothless EPLF into a more meaningful body, told the Leaders in Sport conference in London: “UEFA has breached their Memorandum of Understanding with us. We have to come a conclusion fairly soon and that can only be done by changing the decision. The timetable is finished at our agm on October 21. I’m hopeful of an agreement before then but if we decide to terminate the MoU, there would be no obligation for clubs to avoid playing on Champions League and Europa League dates.”
“It will always be the case that the wallet will decide who wins competitions. But that’s not the point. The smaller and medium-sized clubs have to know it is possible to play in the Champions League. You have to keep the door open for them.”
Once again warning that the new deal was the first step on a slippery slope towards a closed league, Olsson described the ECA as simply a “revamped G14”, the former body of elite clubs that was disbanded several years ago. And he denounced the establishment of a subsidiary company jointly run by UEFA and the ECA to take care of commercialisation of the revamped Champions League.
“If there had been proper strength in UEFA this wouldn’t haven’t happened,” charged Olsson. “But the clubs have taken advantage of the power vacuum that was left (after Michel Platini). It’s not just about changing the format. The distribution model will get worse with less money distributed to those who have less. It’s totally crazy, its first step towards a private league. Also, favouring clubs based on historical merit has no place in modern competition.”
“People talk about the ECA representing over 200 clubs but in fact it’s only 28 who make the decisions. European football is more than 28 clubs. ”
At a briefing with reporters straight after his presentation, Olsson, head of the Swedish Football League, said the threat of domestic league games going head-to-head head with UEFA competitions was not an idle one if his efforts to roll back UEFA’s decision fail.
“The reason why we are reacting like this is because all the conditions have been set for a private closed (Super) league in the future. That’s far more dangerous than the changes themselves. It’s a bit annoying that people don’t seem to see this.”
Neil Doncaster, head of the Scottish Premier League, said the risk of leagues scheduling matches against UEFA club games was “very real” and that a number of leagues would be keen to “exploit that freedom.”
“We are only talking about the 2018-21 cycle but the direction of travel UEFA have embarked upon is very dangerous and threatens the very future of top-level European football,” said Doncaster.
“It’s vital a line is drawn in the sand now and that the EPFL takes a firm line. I have never seen the game in Europe so united against one proposal as this. Bigger, medium and smaller sized leagues are all on the same page.”
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