UEFA and the great European clubs, unified under the ECA, continue to study the different possibilities of reforming the Champions League and continue making it the quintessential competition at the continental teams level. As he comments The times, the last idea would be to expand the number of matches throughout the season and thus definitely bury the option of making a Super League. A project that goes through two paths: to return the two liguillas or expand the groups.
Until 2003 the Champions League had two phases of groups and from them, the eight best teams accessed directly to the quarterfinals. A model that has been forgotten by the current successful and competitive liguilla format plus final phase with 16 clubs, but which could nevertheless be the solution to the UEFA puzzle. In this way, the maximum continental competition would pass from the top of 13 matches played by the two finalists until 17.
How? Keeping the 32 participants, they would continue to unify into eight groups of four teams each from which the first two would access. As it happens now, but with the difference that instead of moving to the round of 16, the remaining 16 would meet again in four groups of four sets, of which they would again classify the two best ones already being in the rooms In the end as they are known today. That is to say, substitute the two eighth matches with three first leg and three lap matches to add four more clashes per season.
An increase to 17 clashes that would also occur with the other possibility raised by the ECA. This would be more radical and would bring with it a new format never seen before in the competition. Group the 32 members of the Champions into six groups of six teams, instead of the current eight of four.
In this way there would be ten group stage meetings (for the current six), of which the first two plus the four best third of the total would pass to the second round. From there, the final phase as it is known at this time to designate the European champion.
These options would harm the lower level cups that exist in some countries
A draft that, for now, does not go beyond being a mere possibility but that would take effect for the 24/25 season. If realized, the ECA would manage to clear all the ghosts of the Super League that UEFA and several clubs have come to consider, but in turn would diminish the importance of some lower-level national cups.
With fewer free spaces on the calendar, tournaments such as the Carabao Cup (England) or the League Cup (France) would lose their European teams. Given this, the option is contemplated that these second cups are only for lower level groups but with the consequent decrease in economic interest that this would entail. In Spain, having only one copera competition and having a new format with fewer matches, in principle this measure would not affect the rhythm of the calendar of the four teams in the Champions League.
Schism in Spanish football for the new Champions League project