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Published 15:03 IST, December 14th 2019

Sir Alex Ferguson opposes FIFA Global Super League reforms, questions Premier League clubs

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has objected on the proposed global Super League. He has questioned the English teams for supporting it.

Reported by: Minaam Ansari
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Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has objected on the proposed global Super League. He has questioned the English teams on their support to the new event. The world governing body FIFA had said in October 2019 that it planned to introduce changes to the present Club World Cup format. In the present format, only four teams play in the tournament.

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FIFA plans to expand the Club World Cup

FIFA plans to expand the Club World Cup to include 24 teams from 2021. However, this new format is being opposed by its European counterpart UEFA. FIFA has also reportedly held private talks on the idea of introducing a global Super League. This new league would see clubs stop playing in their own domestic leagues to participate in the tournament.

Also Read | Sir Alex Ferguson And Ed Woodward Get Into A Heated Argument During United's PL Match

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Gianni Infantino reportedly held talks with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez

According to a report from New York times, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez was involved in private discussions with FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the set-up of a new global league. However, Sir Alex Ferguson does not understand why the English Premier League clubs are favouring a Club World Cup reform. While speaking to the BBC, Ferguson stated that the move was money-oriented. Surely, this would not be attractive to the clubs in the Premier League. At the moment, it is the best domestic league in world football and is well supported financially by Sky, BT and now Amazon.

Also Read | Former Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson Opens Up About The Club's Struggles

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The new plan includes a 32-team league tournament

The latest plan involves a 32-team league in which each team will play 10 matches against 10 different opponents. Of these, eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stages. While another 16 teams will make it to the play-offs and get a chance to join the qualified teams. In the present format of the Club World Cup, the team that wins the continental championship (as in UEFA Champions League) gets a chance to participate in the semi-finals of the FIFA tournament.

Real Madrid and Juventus are pushing for reforms in the UEFA Champions League as well

Top European clubs like Real Madrid and Juventus are pushing for changes in the Champions League in the coming three months. A new working group was set up by the European Club Association to analyse and present new proposals in terms of Champions League formats. There have been demands from various quarters to introduce certain changes in the format of the Champions League.

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Also Read | WATCH: Solskjaer Spots Sir Alex Ferguson After Man Utd Beat City; Here's What Happened

13:58 IST, December 14th 2019