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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Mark Jones

Barcelona reject radical plans to alter Champions League schedule

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he's against a recent proposal to switch Champions League games to weekends.

A plan put forward by the European Club Association last month suggested huge changes to the competition from 2024, including a three-tiered system as well as the weekend fixtures which could have a large impact on domestic leagues.

Plenty saw the proposals as the creation of a European Super League in another name, but Bartomeu - whose side will face Liverpool in the semi-finals of this season's competition - says his club are determined to protect the status of La Liga above all else.

Bartomeu says he wants to protect La Liga (Quique Garcia/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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"Barcelona's position is clear: national league games must be held at the weekend, and Champions League games during the week," he told German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, via France 24 .

"There are different ideas.

"Right now in 2019, we don't know what (the reforms) will look like."

"The Spanish league is very important for us. As a club we need to protect it and ensure that it remains interesting."

Barca host the Reds at the Nou Camp in the first leg of their semi-final on May 1, with the second game at Anfield on May 7.

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