UEFA will study this week a reform project of the Champions League which would replace the traditional pools with a general classification of 32 or 36 teams, each playing 10 matches against 10 different opponents, said the British daily
The Times
on Tuesday
.
Called the "Swiss System", this option would be favored by the European body in its desire to counter the secessionist European Superleague projects agitated by certain clubs, the newspaper understands.
5 home matches, 5 away against 10 different opponents
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This formula, which could see the light of day in 2024, would guarantee four more matches than the six disputed by the teams which finish fourth in their pools, currently.
A draw, with a seed and hat system, would determine 5 home and 5 away matches against 10 different opponents and varying levels, whose points would result in a single ranking of all the teams entered.
The first half of the table at the end of the ten matches would qualify for a more classic round of 16, except that there would be no draw, but the 1st would meet the 16th, the 2nd against the 15th, and so on.
Clubs classified between 17th and 24th places would be transferred to the Europa League.
This formula would also be quite well received by the powerful Association of European Clubs (ECA) and by the organization of the European Leagues, but UEFA will present this project formally over the next two weeks to European football officials.
England's David Gill, UEFA vice-president who spoke to The
Times
last week, stressed that the body was determined to ensure that the mode of qualification remains overwhelmingly linked to domestic competitions, even if the half finalists, or even quarter-finalists, could be qualified for the following season.
For Lars-Christer Olsson, president of the organization of the European Leagues, interviewed by the
Times
, this formula would be "much more realistic" than the proposal of the big clubs in 2019 to go from 8 groups of 4 to 4 groups of 8 with 14 guaranteed matches instead of 6.
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