Major clubs in the UEFA association are reportedly considering the idea of playing some Champions League games in China, the USA, or the Middle East.
According to a new claim, UEFA wants to take some of the best games of the Champions League to countries outside of Europe to grow the fanbase of the game and increase the appeal of the UEFA competitions.
UEFA’s executive committee are due to meet this week in Hvar, Croatia, before the general assembly of the European Club Association (ECA) takes place in Istanbul, Turkey.
These conferences are a way for clubs and executives to explore ways to grow football, and drive up revenues across the game in a post-Covid world.
According to The Athletic, this week’s conference will feature serious discussions about taking some of the Champions League’s best games out of Europe and into other markets.
According to the report, the chairman of the ECA and president of French Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germaina, Nasser Al-Khelaifi is in support of the plan. The club chief is also a member of UEFA’s executive committee and will like to see big UCL games, and possibly Europa League games taken outside of Europe.
The idea is to allow the global fanbase of some of Europe’s biggest clubs easier access to meaningful games. The proposal, for now, covers only the group stage games.
Other options on the table include a four-team ‘Opening Tournament’ featuring last season’s Champions League winners, and playing the UEFA Super Cup outside of Europe.
However, these plans are still proposals and may not be seeing the light of the day anytime soon. Even if they do, it might take a lot of convincing for fans of these European clubs to buy the idea after the backlash that followed the bid by some leading clubs in Europe to propose a European Super League last season.
