EPFL ends agreement with UEFA on Champions League dates

The European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) have voted to end a Memorandum of Understanding that had prohibited domestic matches from being broadcast at the same time as Champions League fixtures, the organisation announced in a statement on Friday.

The group claimed that UEFA has left it “no other option” than to strike down the agreement given recent decisions European football’s governing body has taken.

In August, it made a series of reforms that favoured the continent’s top leagues and the most popular clubs.

UEFA awarded four automatic Champions League places to the continent’s top four leagues. It also took back the 11th and 12th ranked leagues’ right to an automatic qualifier, and changed prize money awards to favour the competition’s most successful clubs.

“The EPFL is of the opinion that the cooperation with UEFA for the development of European professional club football is essential,” the statement read.

“However, the UEFA Executive Committee’s recent decision related to European club competitions leaves the EPFL with no other option than to terminate the current Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.”

The EPFL’s MoU will end in March 2017.

UEFA elects Slovenian Ceferin as new president

UEFA on Wednesday overwhelmingly elected Aleksander Ceferin of Slovenia as its new president after Michel Platini was forced to stand down.
The 48-year-old lawyer received 42 of the 55 votes against 13 for his Dutch challenger Michael van Praag.
Ceferin said: “I am here to find ways to tackle all the problems that surround our game as someone with a new and clear vision.”

Jose Mourinho to storm the UEFA Champions League kick-off next week

Manchester United coach, Jose Mourinho is set to stir up a storm as the new UEFA Champions League season first round of matches kick off on Tuesday, September 13.

Mourinho who is known for his passionate display during matches and controversial utterances against opponents, especially his opposite number at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, is expected to do what he is known for - rile up emotions and stir up conversations - in the lead up to the new UCL matches kicking off in 3 days.


While it is not known what form Mourinho's antics will take this time or what his motives are, it may not be unrelated to the fact that his team, Manchester United will be missing this year's top European league.

Arguably the best coach in the world, the Portuguese will be competing for honours in the Europa League while his main rivals; Claudio Ranieri, Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger get set to lead their teams to the biggest footballing spectacle in the world after the World Cup.

News making the rounds however indicate that the former Chelsea coach is only trying to draw some attention to himself away from the Champions League as his team squares up with other lesser known teams in Europe.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger 'refused' to let Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho sit next to him

Hostilities between Arsène Wenger and Jose Mourinho look set to continue after the Arsenal manager refused to let his Manchester United counterpart sit next to him at a Uefa coaching conference.

The pair attended the meeting in Nyon with several other top European coaches on the recent transfer deadline day, which began with a speech by Sir Alex Ferguson.

According to Marca, Mourinho arrived slightly late and was the last to enter the busy room where Ferguson was speaking.

When he spotted a free seat next to Wenger, opposite Unai Emery, the Paris Saint-Germain manager, and Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid head coach, he asked whether he could occupy it.

Wenger is said to have then deadpanned: “No, it isn't possible,” provoking laughs from the other coach

es in the room.

The incident is the latest in the pair’s long-standing spat, which dates back to Mourinho’s first spell in English football at Chelsea.

Mourinho, often characterised as the aggressor in the feud, infamously labelled Wenger as a ‘voyeur’ in October 2005, in response to critcism over his side's defensive tactics.

During Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea, in February 2014, he described Wenger as a “specialist in failure” after the Arsenal manager intimated that he was afraid of losing.

The two then came to physical blows eight months later when Wenger shoved Mourinho while arguing with him on the touchline at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho appeared to aim a dig at Wenger in his first press conference after his appointment at United earlier this year.

“There are some managers, the last time they won a title was 10 years ago, the last time I won was a year ago," he said.

“I feel I have to prove - not to the others - to myself. I will never be able to work without success. That’s my nature.

“If I have something to prove, imagine the others! To finish 4th is not the aim.”

United will meet Arsenal for the first time this season at Old Trafford on 19 November.

OFFICIAL: The top four teams from the four highest-ranked leagues will enter the #UCL group stage from 2018

Europe's top four leagues will have four guaranteed places in the Champions League group stage from the 2018-19 season, UEFA has confirmed.

The top four leagues in the UEFA coefficient ranking -- currently La Liga, the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A -- will see four teams enter the group stage without having to go through a qualification round.

Currently, La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League are guaranteed three group spots, with a fourth possible through the qualifying round, while Serie A has two guaranteed spots and a third possible via qualification.

The Premier League was in danger of losing one its places to Serie A at the end of this season, particularly after Sassuolo qualified for this season's Europa League group stage while West Ham were eliminated, but both leagues will now get four Champions League spots.

The top flights in Russia, Portugal and France are currently all vying to be Europe's fifth-ranked division but are some distance behind the current top four.

However, the coefficient system will be revamped with clubs judged only on their own records and historical success in European competition also acknowledged.

UEFA has also confirmed that the Europa League winners will now automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage. At present the winners enter at the playoff stage by right, but are elevated to the group stage if the holders also qualify via league position.

The revamp will also involve a change to the way in which clubs are paid, with UEFA explaining: "A new four-pillar financial distribution system (starting fee, performance in the competition, individual club coefficient and market pool) will see sporting performances better rewarded, while market pool share will decrease."

"The amendments made will continue to ensure qualification based on sporting merit, and the right of all associations and their clubs to compete in Europe's elite club competitions.

"We are happy that European football remains united behind the concepts of solidarity, fair competition, fair distribution and good governance."

Adjustments to the current format of the Champions League can only begin in 2018 as that is when the next three-year commercial cycle starts.