PSG

Andrea Agnelli says agreement on 'ideal' new-look Champions League is close

08-Mar-2021 19:12:17 | The Guardian

• ‘Swiss system’ would see 36 teams each play 10 group matches
• Transfer ban between Champions League clubs is discussed

Agreement on a new “ideal” Champions League is imminent, according to the man who represents Europe’s biggest clubs, which may put pressure on the Premier League to reduce its fixture list in future if it is to benefit.

Andrea Agnelli, the chairman of the European Clubs Association, said on Monday he expects a reshaped Champions League to be agreed within weeks. The Juventus president wants an expanded competition to be just the start of wide-ranging reforms at the top of the game that could mean the overall number of domestic games in England is reduced and a ban on transfers between elite sides.

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First used in a Zurich chess tournament over a century ago, the 'Swiss system' has rarely featured in elite sport - but that could change if Uefa agrees a radical shake-up of the Champions League group stages.

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