Cefiner cheers: European Cup reform brings a breath of fresh air for clubs!

Cefiner cheers: European Cup reform brings a breath of fresh air for clubs!

UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin is pleased about the first year after the changeover of the European Cup mode. In a current interview, he emphasizes that the changes are to be seen as a "huge success" and have exceeded expectations. Ceferin is particularly positive about the fact that smaller clubs, such as the Celje association, received more opportunities in the competition. Celje surprisingly made it to the quarter -finals of the Conference League and competed against AC Florence. These new possibilities for less prominent clubs were a central concern of the reforms that were implemented in the current season. The entire football community has given positive feedback, and Ceferin emphasizes the harmonious relationships with the European leagues.

Before the eyes of the football world are aimed at the big final games, the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League will begin next week. The last eight teams are ready, and some of the most famous clubs have experienced surprising twists during the previous dramatic round of 16. Prominent teams such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Juventus and AC Milan were eliminated in the Champions League competition, while the AS Roma and Ajax were already eliminated as part of the Europa League.

outlook on the quarter -finals

The quarter -finals are exciting and promise interesting encounters. The first games of the Champions League take place on April 8th and 9th, while the first round of the Europa League and Conference League will kick off on April 10th. The top contenders in the Champions League competition include Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Arsenal. In the Europa League, teams such as athletic club, Frankfurt and Lazio are hot candidates. In addition, many hope for surprising successes from Chelsea, Fiorentina and Real Betis as part of the Conference League.

The UEFA Europa League in context

The UEFA Europa League, the second highest European football competition, was founded in 1971 as a UEFA Cup and has been named the current name since 2009/10. The record winner is FC Sevilla with a total of seven titles. The differences in the results of the current competition are a result of the redesigned format, which will replace the group phase with a league phase with 36 teams. In addition, the Europa League winner has been given a starting place in the Champions League since 2015/16, which further increases the relevance of the competition.

German teams, including Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt, have also shown impressive success in this tournament, while the Spanish and English clubs traditionally won most of the titles in the European Cup room. While the European clubs are preparing for the next matches, it remains to be seen what surprises will bring the coming weekend in the final games of the Champions League.