UEFA accused of Champions League greed as Man Utd and Newcastle face showdown

12 December 2023 , 06:00

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Eddie Howe's Newcastle must beat Milan to stand a chance of progressing from the "group of death." (Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)

This week marks the end of an era for the Champions League and it again feels like the players are an afterthought.

While a dozen clubs are already through to the round of 16 before the final set of group fixtures, Manchester United and Newcastle face do or die battles to progress. But UEFA have decided to abandon that excitement in favour of more games and, by consequence, more dead rubbers from 2024.

As Ally McCoist, the TNT Sports analyst, tells Mirror Football: “It means the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.” From next season the competition will be expanded from 32 clubs to 36 and they will all play two extra matches to reach the knockout stages.

More games, more money. But less jeopardy and a greater margin of error for the perennial favourites. McCoist says he is reluctant to complain about the new format before it even begins.

Yet he is in no doubt about the motivation and has plenty of sympathy for the players already at breaking point. “I’m not one of these guys scared of change,” he said. “As long as it’s change for the better. It’s one of those things we probably won’t find out until we sample it.

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“But I quite like the structure as it is now to tell you the truth. There’s still interest going into all the games. Look at the Newcastle group, look at the Man United group. Fighting for their lives. There’s still entertainment.

TNT Sports is the exclusive home of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

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“From that respect it’s a brave decision for them to change it. It’ll be wrong for me to say it won’t be a success because I don’t really know. But I’m a little bit old school in the respect of if it ain’t broke why attempt to fix it. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

“From a player’s point of view it’s not good. You can imagine [Jurgen] Klopp and [Pep] Guardiola and the likes will be dead against it. It’s financial, it’s money and with the greatest respect the richer will be getting richer and the poor will struggle.

“The sad thing about the Champions League nowadays is that there are only four teams capable of winning it. You might get a surprise here and there but realistically because of finances.”

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Alan Smith