Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli has issued a letter to all club members on behalf of the European Club Association outlining his plans for a continental super league that would involve promotion and relegation in the Champions League from 2024 onwards.
The introduction of relegation from Europe’s premier club competition would come as the biggest shake-up since the European Cup’s ‘Champions League’ revamp in 1992, and would threaten to cut-off smaller clubs for qualifying for the competition unless they enjoy a sustained period of success.
The letter has been issued to all 232 member clubs, in which Agnelli – the ECA chairman – outlines a desire for:
- More European football is good for the game (for fans, for society, for cultural, sporting and financial development)
- A pyramid Pan European League System with continuity and opportunity to grow from within
- Enhancement of mobility and dynamism across the system through carefully applied promotion and relegation
- European matches with higher sporting quality and a more competitive environment at all levels
- An inclusive platform for all clubs, based on sporting meritocracy, not historical privilege
- Striving to maintain symbiosis with domestic leagues (retaining access and relevance)
- Open to all – keeping the dream alive
- Progressive and forward looking, not reactionary and preserving a sub-optimal status quo
The moves would likely see more commercially attractive games between bigger clubs over matches typically found in the current group stage format.
Agnelli has also called on ECA members to boycott a meeting of the European Leagues group in Madrid at the beginning of May.
