The announcement that twelve clubs are working on the introduction of a so-called Super League is causing quite a stir in the football world. However, Ajax does not intend to respond to plans for a new top competition now, as is made clear from Amsterdam on Monday. The management of the brand new cup winner first wants to await the developments of the coming period, before any statement will be made public.
“We think it is too premature to respond”, a spokesman for Ajax said in a response on Monday RTL News. “There are still too many loose ends to take a stand now.” By the way, Ajax does not belong to the so-called founding fathers of the Super League. AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have planned to start a midweek European competition in August of this year.
What does the arrival of the Super League entail?
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‘I am not afraid that Ajax wants to enter the Super League’
Within the KNVB is not afraid that Ajax will enter the Super League in the short term.
In any case, the KNVB does not fear that Ajax will join the Super League in the short term. “Until now I have no signals that Ajax is interested”, Secretary General Gijs de Jong explains in conversation with the Algemeen Dagblad. UEFA will meet in Switzerland on Monday to discuss proposed reforms to the Champions League. De Jong is present on behalf of the KNVB at the meeting in which it will be decided on changes in the billion dollar ball from the 2024/25 season. In the new format, the traditional group stage will be abolished. In addition, the plan is to expand the field of participants from 32 to 36 clubs.
“We have worked with Ajax, PSV, AZ, Vitesse, FC Utrecht and the Eredivisie CV in this entire file,” said De Jong. “Erik van Spain, strategic advisor to Ajax, was one of the people who came up with the proposal of a ‘Swiss format’ for the Champions League. That is part of the plans that are now on the table. So no, I am not afraid that Ajax may want to enter the Super League. ”
A total of twenty clubs must participate in the Super League, fifty of which have a permanent status. It is expected that three clubs will join the twelve initiators this week. The founders of the Super League want the participating clubs to continue playing in their own national league, although this is again met with opposition from UEFA and the various football associations.
In this way, the clubs overshadow UEFA’s plans for the new Champions League format. The association wants to announce on Monday that the largest club competition in Europe now consists of 36 participants (against 32 now) and the current group phase with groups of four teams will disappear. This is exchanged for one ranking of all teams. A first phase is then played between September and January, in which each participant is assigned ten opponents per draw.