MX23RW : Saturday, March 23 16:02:39

Fans 'won't support Champions League games at weekends'

Fans 'won't support Champions League games at weekends'
© Reuters
UEFA is said to be considering such a proposal.

Champions League matches at weekends would not have the backing of supporters, according to a key figure in the European game.

Representatives from UEFA and the European Club Association are set to meet on Tuesday, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that radical changes to the format of continental club competitions will be discussed.

Moving Champions League games to the weekend and introducing a promotion and relegation system are reported to be two of the ideas set to be floated.

Could Manchester United and Paris St Germain meet at the weekends in the future
Could Manchester United and Paris St Germain meet at the weekends in the future (John Walton/PA)

However, European Leagues, the organisation which represents 35 professional leagues across 28 countries, believes supporters' love of domestic action at a weekend would prevent the idea gaining traction.

European Leagues deputy general secretary Alberto Colombo told Press Association Sport: "Football is a conservative business and we know that the passion of fans is driven by the domestic game.

"English fans love going to see Premier League games at the weekend and it's the same with fans everywhere else, too.

"We know they won't back this idea because they love the traditional rivalries between their cities and communities.

"When you go to the office or you're at school, you don't have a friend who is a Bayern Munich fan, do you?

"Your colleagues support Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, and those are the rivalries we want to talk about on Monday morning."

Colombo was speaking the day before European football's governing body UEFA meets the European Club Association's executive board in Nyon.

The Wall Street Journal reported that changes to the format could be introduced as early as 2021.

UEFA, however, has played down the significance of the meeting, describing it as an "informal brainstorming session...to discuss ideas and exchange views regarding club competitions post-2024".

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is seeking consensus on the way forward for European club competitions
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is seeking consensus on the way forward for European club competitions (Niall Carson/PA)

In a statement, UEFA added: "We will hold similar meetings with other stakeholder groups in the coming months, in order to allow for a proper consultation process before drawing up concrete proposals that could be studied more in-depth before any decisions are made."

Colombo confirmed that the European Leagues, for example, will also be meeting UEFA in the coming weeks, although no date has been fixed yet.

Last month, the governing body and the ECA extended the memorandum of understanding they initially agreed in 2015 to effectively lock down the status quo until 2024, with the exception of the launch of a third club competition, the so-called Europa League 2, in 2021.

The ECA, which represents 232 of the best teams across Europe, declined to comment on Tuesday's meeting but is understood to view the session as a very preliminary conversation about the evolution of UEFA's tournaments and further evidence of the collaborative relationship they have with the governing body.

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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31237170185276
2Manchester CityMan City30242479215874
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs30201957322561
4Arsenal30186663392460
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd30177658401858
6Chelsea30176750331757
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves30128103836244
8Watford30127114244-243
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham31126134146-542
10Leicester CityLeicester31125144043-341
11Everton31117134342140
12Bournemouth31115154356-1338
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3198143140-935
14Crystal Palace3096153641-533
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2996143242-1033
16Southampton3079143450-1630
17Burnley3186173559-2430
18Cardiff CityCardiff3084182757-3028
19Fulham3145222970-4117
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield3135231857-3914

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