Champions League: Klopp, Guardiola para for new competition format wey Uefa approve
European football join-bodi Uefa don announce new format for Champions League competition, but no be everybody happy wit di change.
From 2024, one of football most popular club competition go get 36 teams for di opening stage, instead of di 32 teams wey e be currently. Di Union of European Football Association [Uefa] say dis new format na based on plenty tok-tok wey dem do wit important stakeholders for di European football community. "Dis go give four more clubs di opportunity to compete against di best clubs for Europe," na so Uefa tok. On 19 April di new change collect support from di European Club Association Board and di Uefa Club Competitions Committee (wey get club representatives inside). And no be just Champions League go use dis new format, as Europa League and di new Europa Conference League go follow. Wetin di Champions League new format mean for clubs? Some reports say UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin don tok say di plans fit change if better one land From Round 16 Di results of each match go decide di overall ranking for di new league. After di top eight teams don advance automatically enter round of 16, teams wey dey ninth to 24th position go do play-off round for di remaining eight slots. After round 16, di competition go follow di same 'old' pattern wey everybodi sabi. Wetin e mean for fans? Uefa say fans go get more opportunities to see di top-top teams for Europe play each oda for di early stage of di competition. Every game dey important. Di new league format mean say any result get serious impact for every team - even up to di last match day. Whether team win or lose fit make am possible for dem to qualify automatically (or not) for di last 16. 'Na money' Some football players and managers don reject di new format. Dem say na money make di joinbodi decide to add more clubs to di competition. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bin hala say: "Uefa no ask us, di Super League no ask us. Always dia own na make we play more games. Di new Champions League, wetin be di reason for that? Money... I no know how we suppose manage wit even more games". E no epp Uefa say dem announce di new format, days after di drama wey surround di new European Super League (ESL) comot full everywia. Fans bin accuse ESL organisers say na big money wey dem dey find no gree dem see say dia league no benefit di bigger football community. Meanwhile, od pipo complain say more matches mean say players go dey more affected. Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan say di new Champions League format na di "lesser of two evils" if pesin compare am to ESL. Say in all of dis nobody dey put players health for mind. And im oga Pep Guardiola belief say more matches go increase risk of injury to di players. "We need to ask Uefa and Fifa to extend di year, maybe we go get 400 days a year. Whether dat one go be di solution." Uefa and Fifa never react to dis complaints.