UEFA are reportedly set to escalate their battle with FIFA for control of the international calendar by backing a new tournament to rival the Club World Cup.
The Daily Mail claim that European football’s governing body are in advanced talks about backing a new Champions League-style competition in summer 2021.
The report adds that the tournament, that has been put forward by American promoters Relevant Sports, would essentially be an expansion of the International Champions Cup.
The ICC, which was previously held exclusively in the USA, has served as a pre-season competition for Europe’s top clubs since 2013.
UEFA's endorsement is now set to transform the series of exhibition games into a serious threat to FIFA's plans to expand the Club World Cup to 24 teams.
Part of the proposals includes qualification to be based on domestic league position rather than it's current invitation system.
The annual event will carry an eight-year agreement to initially be held Stateside before potentially being staged in Asia in subsequent years.
A tentative commitment from clubs to field their first-choice squads where possible has also been mooted for the three-team group format.
England giants Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all played in the ICC in recent years and are reportedly keen to be involved.
Source: Read Full Article