Will the anthem of the Champions League’s royal class soon ring out during the summer break? The plans for a new tournament are taking shape.
The plans for the “Champions League in summer” are taking on more and more concrete shape.
The most important development is that the European football association UEFA is apparently backing the concept for the tournament, which will involve clubs such as FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, FC Liverpool and Juventus Turin.
This was reported by the Daily Mail. According to the Daily Mail, UEFA is already in advanced negotiations with the US sports promoter “Relevent Sports”.
What is it about? The promoter, who is currently setting up the International Champions Cup during the summer break, wants to launch a new format.
These are the plans for the new Champions League
Now the first details of the plans have also become known, which are available to the Daily Mail. In contrast to the ICC, the teams will no longer be invited, but will be qualified by the placement in their respective leagues.
The teams will play in the USA this summer, before the starting signal for league operations – and possibly as early as 2021.
The contract for the new tournament is said to run for eight years, after which games in Asia might be an issue.
The Summer Champions League is to begin with a group phase in which three teams form a group – followed by a knockout phase.
Explosive: The plans are to require clubs to use their regulars as long as they are available.
Power struggle between FIFA and UEFA looms
Behind the company Relevent Sports is US billionaire Stephen Ross, who owns the NFL team Miami Dolphins, among others. Together with Andrea Agnelli (President of Juventus Turin and Chairman of the European Club Association ECA) he has been pushing the issue for some time.
Ross would be the financier for the ambitious project, which UEFA now seems set to give its official blessing. Relevant Sports would act as the organiser.
However, the summer edition of the premier league would probably cause a scheduling conflict with the world football association FIFA. The latter wants to present the freshly revised Club World Cup for the first time next summer.
This is to take place every four years – in contrast to the current schedule, 24 teams are to participate in future, including several top clubs from Europe. However, FIFA apparently still lacks the necessary sponsors to really bring the planned format to life.
Champions League in the summer or Club World Cup – it comes down to a power struggle.