Photo by Sari mohammed on Unsplash
Following the controversial European Super League proposal of 2021, the Champions League as we know it is set to alter its format from the 2024-25 season.
The ill-fated attempts by Europe’s elite clubs sought to create a ‘closed shop’ featuring a total of 15 teams. Twelve teams would be guaranteed their place every year while the remaining 3 places would be available through some other means of qualification.
The plan to break away from UEFA and the Champions League was met with dismay by fans and authorities. However, the desire for these clubs to earn as much as possible from an elite competition ensures the new Champions League format could be rolled out easily.
The competition would change from a 32-team, multi-league system to one league featuring 36 teams. They would then qualify for knockout stages based on their final league position.
This idea has given hope to representatives from the Saudi Arabian Pro League that would like to see one space in the new-look Champion’s League going to the winner of their league as a wild card.
Interest in the Saudi Pro League spiked when Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr on January 1st 2023. This led to a number of high-profile moves over the summer that brought the spending of Saudi clubs to £691 million.
Some of the biggest names in the league now include Sadio Mané, Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Jordan Henderson. The lure of high, untaxed wages is too much for some footballers who are seizing the opportunity to provide for their families for generations to come.
Saudi Arabian teams have proved that they can attract some of the biggest names in world football, and now they want to be part of the most prestigious club competition.
Not only would this add to the prestige of the league, but it would also guarantee revenue streams including TV money, prize money, sponsorship, and gate receipts. The total prize money purse for the 2022/23 Champions League totalled £1.72 billion: the inclusion of a Saudi team could see this rise even further.
UEFA will be keen to explore options that can increase revenue, as will sponsors. The top online betting sites in the UK (you can find them here) benefit from the additional European games and offer an extensive range of betting markets and special promotions on big games. The quality of the teams and players involved makes a difference in whether people will bet on a game and watch it— for example, the 2018 World Cup final raked in almost £5.8 billion in bets.
However, there will be some hurdles that would need to be negotiated, including the logistics of a Saudi team playing in a European competition and cultural differences.
The geographical distance between many European nations and Saudi Arabia would make some fixtures extremely challenging. For example, a Norwegian team competing in the Champions League would have to travel over 3,000 and vice versa.
Cultural differences would also be significant with the Champions League and competing teams enjoying sponsorship from some of the biggest alcohol and gambling brands in the world.
Drinking and gambling are outlawed in Saudi Arabia and there are also strict laws on dress codes, behaviour, and even sexuality. Most notably, the inclusion of a team from a country that has banned homosexual relations would contradict UEFA’s commitment to the LGBTQI+ community.
There’s still a lot to consider before any decisions will be made, and it remains uncertain whether Saudi teams could feature in the new Champions League format.