European Clubs‘ Association: Europe’s big five leagues warned about dominance
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By Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Geneva
Europe’s large five leagues are warned their dominance of the soccer landscape of this continent will not be allowed to continue unchecked.
A two-day meeting of the European Clubs‘ Association (ECA) at Geneva finished with chairman Andrea Agnelli speaking of reforms being set up by 2022, instead of December 2019 as was the case earlier this year.
The sudden switch of deadlines underscores the absence of advancement that’s been produced by the ECA in talks over generating a broader degree of competition, more games and higher earnings from Europe’s three major club contests, including the brand new Europa League two, from 2024.
It is clear the clubs, especially those from nations like Poland and Holland, regard the’big five‘ – Ligue 1, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and also the Premier League – since being significant obstacles to the modifications .
„Uefa brings cash to big, medium and smallish countries,“ said Edwin van der Sar, the Ajax chief executive.
„The big five leagues collect money from all over the world and keep it in their jurisdiction, and they receive solidarity payments from Uefa. This is not sustainable.“
It is understood the Premier League’s leading nightclubs – Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United – are not the object of the ECA’s irritation but the championships and were all represented at the 169-member amassing in Switzerland themselves.
„You can easily see who’s investing and who’s protecting individual pursuits,“ explained HJK Helsinki chief executive Aki Riihilahti.
Initial proposals for a Champions League containing four groups of eight groups, with 14 matches and 20 clubs no longer needing to qualify, have now been dropped.
Agnelli expects to have an alternative plan ready by next March, that could then be opened up for debate, with the intention of using a format for soccer consented by 2022.
Agnelli, who is also the chairman of both Juventus, made a veiled threat that he was prepared to move when they don’t come on board although it is probably the leagues will be opposed.
„We won’t get past an 80% satisfaction rate,“ he explained. „That is the stage we get to in order to accept any motion at ECA.
„You’ll find a few deadlocks and we have to put together the many components and concerns to find a solution that fits most.
„There has to be a response by 2022 since that is when Uefa go to market for the TV rights from 2024.“
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