UEFA approve new third-tier club competition UEL2

[JamieMCFC]

UEFA at it again looking out for the rags so they don't miss out on Europe.

UEFA have approved the creation of a third-tier UEFA club competition on Sunday, a tournament which will mirror the current Champions League and Europa League format, beginning in 2021.

At their meeting in Dublin, UEFA's Executive Committee finalised plans to introduce the event, with the working title "UEL2," in the 2021 to 2024 competition cycle.

It will ensure that at least 34 countries will be represented in UEFA club competitions, compared to today's total of 26.

The seventh-placed teams in Europe's four top-ranked leagues will qualify directly for the final qualifying round of the new competition, while teams entering the early qualifying rounds of the new competition will be mainly those finishing second, third and fourth in Europe's smaller leagues.

"The new UEFA club competition makes UEFA's club competitions more inclusive than ever before," UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said.

"There will be more matches for more clubs, with more associations represented in the group stages. This competition was borne out of ongoing dialogue with clubs through the European Club Association."

The format will see eight groups of four teams, followed by the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Like the Europa League, matches will be played on Thursday.

An additional knockout round will be played before the round of 16 between teams ranked second in their groups and the third-ranked teams in the groups of the Europa League, which will run concurrently.

The new competition will feature 141 matches over 15 match weeks, exactly like the Europa League. The winner of the new competition will be entitled to participate in the Europa League in the following season.

The Europa League group stage, meanwhile, will be reduced from 48 teams to 32.

UEFA said that the Champions League would remain unaltered, meaning that the four top-ranked leagues -- currently Spain, England, Germany and Italy -- would each keep four guaranteed places in the group stage.

"No changes will be made to the format and access list of the UEFA Champions League," said UEFA.

[BlueinBosnia]

It will ensure that at least 34 countries will be represented in UEFA club competitions, compared to today's total of 26.

The seventh-placed teams in Europe's four top-ranked leagues will qualify directly for the final qualifying round of the new competition, while teams entering the early qualifying rounds of the new competition will be mainly those finishing second, third and fourth in Europe's smaller leagues.

I'm surprised that at least 26 nations are guaranteed representation in club competitions in the current system; I thought it was only 16 or 17...

[sheblue]

Here we go again more nonsense from the masterminds at UEFA.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

So UEFA have three seperate club competitions now, did you ever hear the likes of it?

[Nigels Tackle]

west ham reserves vs some team i've never heard of from latvia @ 6pm on a thursday
gonna be mega that

[PeterParker]

It will be live on Disney Channel?

[nottsblue]

One day someone in charge will realise less is more. Until then we will have more pointless games played in front of bored, nearly empty stadiums which no one really wants.

[Beefymcfc]

The European league is becoming just that, now into the 3rd Division. What comes next?

As long as there's some form of sponsorship, UEFA don't care, just another way of making money.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

To be honest it would be nice as a fan to go to some more obscure places rather than just seeing the same teams from the same leagues every year, which is one weakness (among many) of the current CL format.

[john68]

We should be reminded that in 2005/6 FiFA were taken to court by Royal Charlois (Belgium) regarding compensation refused by FiFA, for a player injured whilst on international duty.
The claim was cosigned by the G14 group of cartel clubs.
It was well reported at the time that the clubs had won their claim for compensation for players injured during international games.
What wasn't widely reported was that the implication of the verdict that took away the rights of FiFA & UeFA to regulate global & European football, leaving them with the power of control only over those competitions they actually own & run.
It is the reason they had to seek a memorandum of understanding (renewed every few year) with the European Clubs' Assoc to compel clubs that qualified to enter the CL. It is also the reason why UeFA have little or no control of clubs wishing to break away to form a Euro Super League, or or any other comp clubs may wish to form.
To combat this, both football bodies have sought to expand their portfolios of comps considerably.
World & Euro comps covering both genders over a comprehensive number of age ranges.

It's all about generating & maximising profits. Fuck all to do with anything football.
European Division 3 football is another step to increase control and generate money.

[ross.mcfc]

It's all about generating & maximising profits. Fuck all to do with anything football.
European Division 3 football is another step to increase control and generate money.

Yep. This alongside the Copa Libertadores final being played outside South America is a sign of which direction football is going.

[Nigels Tackle]

It's all about generating & maximising profits. Fuck all to do with anything football.
European Division 3 football is another step to increase control and generate money.

Yep. This alongside the Copa Libertadores final being played outside South America is a sign of which direction football is going.

it will soon be the otro all stars doing a world tour