May 4 – With Liverpool through to the final of the Champions League and Manchester City aiming to join them to set up yet another all-English showdown, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has bemoaned the lack of competitiveness in other so-called Big Five footballing countries where the domestic leagues are perennially dominated by the same teams.
Once again this season, despite an array of star-studded players at their disposal, Paris St Germain have fallen short of their European target – as have Bayern Munich in Germany.
One reason for this, says Ceferin, is lack of sufficiently strong opposition domestically while in Italy, which has also once again failed to provide a Champions League finalist, there are financial restrictions.
“It’s true, those two leagues (France and Germany) are not very competitive,” Ceferin was quoted as saying in an interview with Croatian publication Sportske Novosti. “Two clubs dominate. There is more competition in Italy, but they are not financially strong.”
Ceferin also took the opportunity to bury the European Super League project once again.
“It’s over, they’re trying to satisfy their ego a bit but it can never work,” he asserted.
On the other hand, Ceferin was rather more favourable to the concept of a Final 4 in the Champions League.
“It’s a good idea, but you lose a few matches. You don’t play home and away, and there are fewer matches for TV rights holders. It’s too early to share new ideas with the media, but there are plans.”
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