UEFA postpones Champions League talks as clubs, leagues row

Changes to Champions League are unlikely to be decided this year after UEFA on Thursday called off joint talks with heads of European clubs and leagues who have spent months arguing over a potential radical overhaul of formats of European competitions.

European Club Association chairman Andrea Agnelli, who has been criticized for championing a largely closed Champions League, and European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson were due to jointly meet UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin on Septtember 11.

"I have decided to postpone meeting," Ceferin wrote to Agnelli and Olsson in a letter obtained by Associated Press. 

"I will send a new invitation as soon as I think that we are ready for a meaningful discussion." 

letter was sent a day before ECA executive board, led by Juventus chairman Agnelli, meets in private in Liverpool to discuss ir vision for an overhaul of continent-wide club competitions from 2024. 

third competition provisionally called Europa League Two is already due to launch in 2021.

"We are currently in process of garing feedback from our national associations," Ceferin wrote, "and I feel  more generally  that a new discussion w would be premature as we are analyzing feedback and proposals coming from different parties." 

European Leagues group has fiercely opposed Agnelli's core idea of restricting access to Champions League and Europa League, as have dozens of teams from across continent who are members of ECA.

A proposal presented earlier this year by UEFA would guarantee 24 of 32 Champions League group teams return following season, introducing significant promotion and relegation with Europa League. 

Leagues fear end-of-season intrigue will be reduced in ir competitions, with finishing positions currently determining qualification for Europe.

"As you kw very well, UEFA deliberately kicked off review process for 2024/27 competition cycle much ahead of our regular schedule and we are refore in hurry," Ceferin told Agnelli and Olsson. 

"We do t, in any case, expect to make a decision this year." 

ECA has been calling for eight-team groups in Champions League instead of current four. That would guarantee clubs more revenue from UEFA for playing 14 games before kckout rounds instead of current six.

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This would benefit illustrious clubs who want to play each or more often in Europe, appearing to be dissatisfied with a lack of competition at home. Juventus has won eight straight Italian titles, Bayern Munich has won last seven in Germany, and Paris Saint-Germain has won six of seven in France.

English Premier League is leading force resisting dramatic changes to Champions League and claims to have backing from all of its teams. That includes Manchester United, whose executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is an ECA executive board member.

Atletico Madrid led attack from Spain which Barcelona and Real Madrid didn't sign up to by accusing ECA of launching a "frontal attack" on stability of European game by advocating a model that harms domestic leagues.

concept would see eight Champions League teams relegated each season into following year's Europa League, with half having to go through a playoff round to reach second-tier's group st.

four Europa League semifinalists would be promoted into next season's Champions League group st.

Only four qualifying places would be left for national champions competing in preliminary rounds. It would leave Dutch league runner-up as Ajax was before reaching last season's Champions League semifinals with way to qualify. Even as Dutch champion, Ajax is having to go through qualifying rounds to make this season's group st next month.

Promotion and relegation are also envisd between Europa League and a third-tier competition that has yet to launch.

third competition would kick off in 2021-22 season with a 32-team format in eight groups of four. But it could be enlarged to 64 teams from 2024, with four groups of 16 teams, possibly arranged by region, according to UEFA documents seen by AP in May. 

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