Or New-Look Champions League – What Does the Future Hold for Football?
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14 Thursday, October 29, 2020 Sports ‘European Super League’ or new-look Champions League – what does the future hold for football? AFP There is also the possibil- PARIS ity not all leading clubs would necessarily want to be in- THE spectre of a European volved in a Super League. Super League looms seem- “For over 10 years we ingly larger than ever after the have been hearing specula- remarkable claims made by tion about the Super League. outgoing Barcelona president However, the main function of Josep Maria Bartomeu, but the world of football is on the any current manoeuvres could development of existing inter- simply all be part of attempts national competitions,” said to put pressure on UEFA with AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis on a revamp of the Champions Wednesday. League set for 2024. And so it comes back to the Bartomeu resigned as Bar- prospect of a revamped Cham- celona president on Tuesday pions League that may well be but one of his last acts was to like a Super League in all but reveal he had accepted a pro- name. posal to play in “a future Euro- Existing broadcast agree- pean Super League”. ments expire in 2024, and That came just a week after the threat of a breakaway may Sky in the UK reported nego- help the biggest clubs get more tiations were nearing conclu- of what they want – money, sion for the creation of a “Eu- guaranteed access, games – ropean Premier League” of 18 from UEFA. clubs, backed by $6 billion of Former Barcelona FC president Josep Maria Bartomeu (left) and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez during the Spanish League match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at “The big clubs want a financing from major banks. the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona last Saturday. (AFP) closed shop in terms of guar- There has been talk for anteed participation, but years of a breakaway competi- the words of one source, “it FIFA focus on UEFA prefers a merit-based tion, with a closed set-up simi- will create a civil war within There has been talk for years of a breakaway competition, with a closed set-up Club World Cup approach based on winning lar to the model of American football”. similar to the model of American major leagues, and even before events of the Meanwhile FIFA president football games rather than major leagues, and even before In any case, it is worth Gianni Infantino is focused on wealth,” said Maguire. events of the last week it felt questioning why Bartomeu last week it felt like a seismic change in European football was coming. his plans for an expanded, 24- In reality only a handful like a seismic change in Euro- dropped his bombshell pre- team Club World Cup. of elite clubs can aspire to win pean football was coming. cisely when he did, as he quit ‘Non-negotiable’ Ceferin told AFP in August. Wednesday reaffirmed its belief The competition was due the Champions League in its The prospect of regular in the wake of an ugly falling- Those opposed to the idea “In a 20-team league, come that no breakaway competition to take place for the first time current format, but at least the games between the likes of out with Lionel Messi and with insist it would become dull. February somebody in this can rival the Champions League. next year but was put back to a rest can still dream. Juventus and Barcelona – Barcelona in crisis. Clubs used to winning their league of stars will have to be “The principles of solidar- later date after Euro 2020 and “That’s the fairytale we who met in the Champions “It’s the comments of a national titles and then meet- 10th, somebody will have to be ity, promotion, relegation and the Copa America were post- love, to follow that it’s actu- League on Wednesday – or jilted lover,” Kieran Maguire, ing in the latter stages of the 15th,” Javier Tebas, president open leagues are non-negotia- poned to 2021 because of the ally possible for a team like Paris Saint-Germain and football finance lecturer at Champions League might end of Spain’s La Liga, told AFP ble,” UEFA stated. coronavirus pandemic. Midtjylland... to go and play Manchester United will ap- the University of Liverpool, up languishing in mid-table in last week. “The people with “That is what makes Euro- “What matters to me is not on the biggest stage,” Rasmus peal to many. told AFP. a Super League. these ideas are dreamers.” pean football work and makes Bayern against Liverpool, but Ankersen, chairman of the However, there is such “He wanted to go out “Any Super League of 10, 12, UEFA’s position could the Champions League the Bayern against Boca Juniors,” Danish champions who are widespread opposition to any with a bang and he certainly 24 clubs will become boring,” not be clearer, and European best sporting competition in Infantino told Swiss newspaper in this season’s Champions Super League project that, in achieved that.” UEFA president Aleksander football’s governing body on the world.” Aargauer Zeitung last week. League, told The Independent. Dodgers end World Series drought According to Portuguese TV1, Cristiano Ronaldo has tested with 3-1 victory over Tampa Rays positive 18 times. AFP ARLINGTON (US) THE Los Angeles Dodgers ended their 32-year wait for a World Series title on Tuesday, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to claim the Major League Baseball Ronaldo furious at missing crown at last after a string of agonizing near-misses. Juve game against Barca Corey Seager drove in the go-ahead run, Mookie Betts homered late and a AFP 13 while playing with Portugal, stream of Los Angeles pitchers stood TURIN and has been in self-isolation firm as the Dodgers won the seventh since returning to Italy. World Series in club history but their PORTUGUESE star Cristiano According to Portuguese first since 1988. Ronaldo has been left out of TV1, the five-time Ballon d’Or Back in Major League Baseball’s Juventus’ team for Wednes- winner has tested positive championship showcase for the third day’s Champions League clash 18 times. time in four years, the Dodgers eased the against Barcelona in Turin, The match against Bar- disappointment of defeats in 2017 and two weeks after testing posi- celona, which kicks off at 2018. They beat the Rays four-games- tive for coronavirus. 2000 GMT, will be the fourth to-two at Globe Life Field in Arlington, The 35-year-old, the top missed by Ronaldo, who has Texas, where the first neutral site World scorer in the history of the com- no symptoms of the virus, and Series in baseball history capped a pan- petition with 130 goals, needed has posted photos of himself demic-shortened campaign. to test negative 24 hours before training on social media. “This is what you think about when the game against his great rival Footballing legends Ron- you are a kid,” said Seager, who was Lionel Messi’s Spanish team. aldo and Messi will now, all named Most Valuable Player of the se- A furious Ronaldo posted a being well, meet in the reverse ries after batting .400 with two home photo on Instagram, with the Group G fixture in Barcelona runs and five runs-batted-in. comment: “Feeling good and on December 8. “You strive to hear that,” he said of healthy! Forza Juve! #finoal- They have not faced off being called a World Series champion. lafine.” He added a comment since the five-time Ballon d’Or “To do it with this group couldn’t be on the swab tests used to detect winner left Real Madrid for any more special.” The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after Julio Urias #7 strikes out Willy Adames #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays to give the Dodgers the the virus: “PCR IS BULLSHIT”. Juventus in 2018. Added catcher Austin Barnes: “We 3-1 victory in Game Six to win the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. (GETTY IMAGES/AFP) Ronaldo, who has more Barcelona and Juventus had our hearts broken so many times.” than 241 million Instagram both won their Champions The Dodgers win completed a innings from Gonsolin. followers, removed the com- League openers – the Span- championship double for Los Angeles, Corey Seager drove in the But he lasted just 1 2/3 innings be- ment after an hour an a half. iards 5-1 at home against Hun- whose LeBron James-led Lakers won go-ahead run, Mookie Betts fore giving way to Dylan Floro. Ronaldo first tested posi- gary’s Ferencvaros and the their first NBA title since 2010 earlier homered late and a stream of Snell, meanwhile, retired the first tive for COVID-19 on October Italians 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev. this month. six batters he faced before giving off As the Dodgers celebrated on the Los Angeles pitchers stood firm a leadoff single to Chris Taylor in the field, key contributor Justin Turner ap- as the Dodgers won the sev- third, then retired nine more as the peared, despite having been pulled in enth World Series in club his- Rays preserved their one-run lead the eighth inning after testing positive through five innings. Quick read for coronavirus – a final sombre re- tory but their first since 1988. Gonzalez retired three straight in minder of the shadow cast on the sea- the top of the sixth, and after the Dodg- Ahmad Ahmad says will stand again for son by the pandemic.