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| Uefa president open to Champions League final being held outside Europe | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The new Uefa president has suggested the Champions League final could be contested in New York or elsewhere outside Europe for the first time. Aleksander Ceferin, the Slovenian who came from nowhere to succeed the disgraced Michel Platini last month, said he planned to open up the right to stage the final to a transparent bidding process and was open to it being staged in the US. | The new Uefa president has suggested the Champions League final could be contested in New York or elsewhere outside Europe for the first time. Aleksander Ceferin, the Slovenian who came from nowhere to succeed the disgraced Michel Platini last month, said he planned to open up the right to stage the final to a transparent bidding process and was open to it being staged in the US. |
| “I think it might be an idea in future but we have to speak about it,” Ceferin said, highlighting the fact a flight to the east coast of the US can take the same time as one across Europe. | “I think it might be an idea in future but we have to speak about it,” Ceferin said, highlighting the fact a flight to the east coast of the US can take the same time as one across Europe. |
| “To go from Portugal to Azerbaijan, for example, is almost the same as if you go to New York. For the fans it’s no problem but we should see. It’s a European competition so let’s think about it.” | “To go from Portugal to Azerbaijan, for example, is almost the same as if you go to New York. For the fans it’s no problem but we should see. It’s a European competition so let’s think about it.” |
| One idea that has been mooted is moving the semi-finals to the weekend, like the final, in order to enable more international viewers to watch. | One idea that has been mooted is moving the semi-finals to the weekend, like the final, in order to enable more international viewers to watch. |
| “We should think also about other markets but how to do it exactly I’m not sure yet. China is financially interesting and the US is not just financially interesting, but football is growing there,” Ceferin told the Associated Press. | “We should think also about other markets but how to do it exactly I’m not sure yet. China is financially interesting and the US is not just financially interesting, but football is growing there,” Ceferin told the Associated Press. |
| Only the Champions league final is played on a Saturday but one option would be to move the semi-finals from their midweek slot. | Only the Champions league final is played on a Saturday but one option would be to move the semi-finals from their midweek slot. |
| “There are some ideas about that because then China is not asleep because it’s Saturday and they can watch,” Ceferin said. “But there are many problems concerning that with the calendar of the leagues. National leagues are too important. You have the Premier League which is very strong. It’s an idea but it’s too early to say anything concrete on it.” | “There are some ideas about that because then China is not asleep because it’s Saturday and they can watch,” Ceferin said. “But there are many problems concerning that with the calendar of the leagues. National leagues are too important. You have the Premier League which is very strong. It’s an idea but it’s too early to say anything concrete on it.” |
| Ceferin has said he may look again at a recent deal between the European Club Association and Uefa over revenue distribution from the Champions League but he is unlikely to unpick it. He said it was important to look at innovating while continuing to protect what he called “the best sporting product in the world”. | Ceferin has said he may look again at a recent deal between the European Club Association and Uefa over revenue distribution from the Champions League but he is unlikely to unpick it. He said it was important to look at innovating while continuing to protect what he called “the best sporting product in the world”. |
| He is awaiting a “proper analysis” of the plan of his Fifa counterpart, Gianni Infantino, to expand the World Cup to 40 or 48 teams but would defend the ratio of places awarded to European teams. Thirteen teams qualify for the World Cup from the 55-nation Uefa region and Ceferin believes “fans in North America and Asia prefer to watch our teams”. | He is awaiting a “proper analysis” of the plan of his Fifa counterpart, Gianni Infantino, to expand the World Cup to 40 or 48 teams but would defend the ratio of places awarded to European teams. Thirteen teams qualify for the World Cup from the 55-nation Uefa region and Ceferin believes “fans in North America and Asia prefer to watch our teams”. |
| “If you put it to a vote we might lose but we are the strongest confederation, nobody should forget that we are strongest in quality and all other aspects,” Ceferin said. “We have the best national teams. So I doubt they will outvote us.” | “If you put it to a vote we might lose but we are the strongest confederation, nobody should forget that we are strongest in quality and all other aspects,” Ceferin said. “We have the best national teams. So I doubt they will outvote us.” |