A22 Sports Management claims to be in negotiations with the European Football Confederation, UEFA, to create a revamped Champions League format, a claim categorically denied by European football’s governing body, which, however, acknowledges holding discussions with A22
A22, backer of the controversial Super League project, said that it had proposed to UEFA an agreement centred on providing a free-to-air broadcasting platform and making minor adjustments to the current competition structure. In this new format, the 36 teams currently in the Champions League would be split into two groups of 18, with the top clubs advancing to a round-of-16 knockout stage.
“This proposal for innovation is on the table. If UEFA refuses it for its own reasons, we cannot continue to ignore judicial rulings,” an A22 spokesperson warned. This was a reference to a May 2024 ruling by a Spanish court that found FIFA and UEFA guilty of abusing their dominant position by rejecting the Super League project.
A22 claims this decision gives them the right to create a new competition, which UEFA cannot block.
However, that interpretation is seen as contentious since the court case in question had sanctioned outdated regulations: UEFA revised and strengthened its authorisation system in 2022, without it ever being legally challenged.
A22 insists its ultimate goal is to significantly increase football’s revenue, pointing to the disparity between European football’s current earnings and the lucrative TV rights in US sports.
