A third major European competition is set to return to club football as part of a shake up by Uefa to reduce the Europa League fixture pile-up.
The Champions League, Europa League and the new as-yet-unnamed tournament will have 32 teams each from 2021. Authorities are considering limiting the extra contest to less dominant football leagues, including those in Wales and Scotland, it is understood.
Uefa will launch the changes from the start of the 2021-22 season, the European Club Association president, Andrea Agnelli, said. In his opening address at the ECA’s biannual general meeting in Split on Tuesday, the Juventus chairman said: “Pending approval of the Uefa executive committee, the green light has been given to introduce a third competition, bringing the overall number of clubs to 96, as of the 2021/22 season.”
As a result of the changes, Europa League’s group stage would be reduced from 48 teams to 32, with the new competition and the Champions League all having the same number.
Uefa has made little secret of the fact it has been looking at ways to raise the Europa League’s profile while also giving more clubs a shot at European competition, and therefore its ever-growing financial benefits, too.
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