If this overhaul has been known for the most part for a year, with a mini-championship instead of the current group stage and the passage from 32 to 36 clubs, the European body has modified its copy on the two points most controversial: the number of additional matches and the criteria for accession.
This decision “represents a key moment for supporters across the continent, many of whom have campaigned tirelessly against the initial proposals”, welcomes FSE, which brings together several dozen fan organizations.
Like the European Leagues association, which represents 30 professional leagues on the continent, Football Supporters Europe deplored the increase from six to ten matches for the initial phase, as well as the qualification of two clubs to the benefit of their European history – i.e. a repechage route for the leaders after a failed season.
UEFA therefore agreed on Tuesday to reduce the mini-championship to “eight days” which will allow access to the knockout phase from the round of 16, and to award two of the four additional tickets to the two nations having succeeded. the best collective performance the previous season in European competitions.
“For the first time, the position of supporters has directly influenced the result of a major reform of European club competitions”, even if FSE wanted to go further and go down to six days, underlined the executive director of the organization, Ronan Evain.
Satisfied with having “avoided the worst-case scenario”, which combined congestion of the calendar and sprain of sporting merit, the supporters’ associations believe, however, that “the journey towards greater fairness in European club competitions is not over” .
“We strongly believe that the main structural issues facing European football have yet to be addressed and as such we will continue to push for solutions based on sustainability, solidarity and fairness,” Ronan Evain continued. .
UEFA, which has just completed a reform of its financial fair play, must now open the site of “competitive balance” to prevent a handful of wealthy clubs from monopolizing the trophies, recognized moreover at the beginning April its director of financial sustainability, Andrea Traverso.