UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has claimed that he won’t be blackmailed by the bigger leagues while pushing through changes that will provide 16 Champions League group places to the four major nations and a huge shift in cash.
Clubs from countries such as Scotland, Holland and Belgium face a much tougher route to reach the group stages and and even stiffer challenge to reach the knock out phase as money polarises the game.
It seems that there is little organised opposition to the changes which come in for season 2018/19 with the new UEFA President congratulating himself for seeing off the threat of a supposed Super League.
A media based consortium had apparently put together an alternative to the Champions League that would have contained more guaranteed places to the major leagues with the qualification door closing completely.
With the champions of Iceland, Luxemburg, Wales and the Faroe Isles entering the first qualifying round UEFA can still claim that there is a group stage pathway open to all.
“Quite simply, money does not rule and the football pyramid must be and will be respected,” the BBC reports Ceferin telling a UEFA congress in Helsinki.
“To some leagues, I will say: we will never give in to the blackmail of those who think they can manipulate small leagues.
“Why be afraid of dialogue? Why be afraid of telling them face to face how we could shape the future together, hand in hand, in the best interests of football?
“And why be afraid to tell them openly what we will never accept?”
Coming from Slovenia Ceferin should be well aware of the frustrations of most nations outside of the big four or five. Time will tell if he backs up his quote about money not ruling football.
Next season Celtic face three qualifiers to reach the group phase of the Champions League, if they planned changes go ahead the hoops would face four qualifying rounds in season 18/19 to reach the group phase.
