UEFA, the organisation that manages the Champions League, is considering opening up the competition so that there are more matches in a season. The proposal which originated from the European Club Association (ECA) would see the number of games played in the latter stages of the competition increase to 17, up from the current 13.
The step would be aimed at increasing the amount of money that the competition generates. If adopted, the extra number of matches would translate into an increase in revenue from ticket sales, TV rights and such other streams that come from match days.
Expansion Format
The nature in which the competition would be opened up has not been agreed upon, but that would probably happen in one of the following ways. In the first scenario, the round of 16 could cease to be a knock-out. Instead, it would be played as a round-robin, making the quarters the first knock-out phase. This method has already been used before in the same competition.
In the second scenario, group stages could see an increase in the number of participating teams from 32 to 36. Consequently, there would be more matches in the group stages. Where the top two teams qualify currently from each group, the best losers would also make it to the next round. That would also mean more teams from some leagues that presently have fewer teams qualifying for the competition.
The downside would be that, with more matches to play, some teams will have lesser time to play in ‘smaller’ domestic cups.
Maintain Control
UEFA would probably welcome the idea as a way of fending off the thought of elite teams breaking away to form a super league, something that has been a cause of headaches at the organisation for some time now. If adopted, the new model will be rolled out in the 2024/25 season.