The Champions League has long been seen as the premier European football competition, both in its previous guise as the European Cup, and more latterly in its newer format.
Harder to win when it was just the champions of each country playing against each other, UEFA decided to introduce a league format and one suspects that was probably as much to do with revenue generation as anything else.
More teams equals more games equals more rounds of matches and more money for UEFA’s coffers.
There was little wrong with the competition in its original format though it seems that nothing can stand in the way of progress.
The only potential issue with that is that tradition then falls by the wayside, and it opens up the possibility to making decisions that really aren’t in keeping with the values of the competition.
A case in point comes with the news that UEFA are considering moving the Champions League final to the United States of America in 2026.
UEFA President ?eferin: “Champions League games being played in USA? It's possible. We started to discuss about that”, told @MenInBlazers. ???
“In 2025, the final is in Munich… after that, let's see”. pic.twitter.com/7T00qLik9e
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 25, 2023
According to the Sports Business Journal, who reference a conversation that UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, had with Men in Blazer’s Roger Bennett on the MIB’s podcast, there have already been discussions as to whether such a move is a viable possibility.
One can only conclude that consideration is being given to the idea because of revenue generation and sponsorship, as no other possible explanation makes sense.
Once the final has been moved out of Europe once what’s to say it won’t happen again, and where would that leave fans of the two clubs contesting the final and who wanted to be there?
Some things are best left alone. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.