UEFA’s New Champions League Format Faces Legal Battle
The revamped Champions League is just around the corner, with the draw set to take place on Thursday, August 29. But, there’s a twist – UEFA’s new "league phase" format has sparked a legal battle with Chilean sports consultant Leandro Shara, who claims to have invented the system.
For the first time since 1991, the Champions League will not begin with a group stage. Instead, all 36 teams will face eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The same system will be used in the Europa League and Conference League, though teams in the latter will face six opponents rather than eight.
The complexity of the format has led UEFA to decide that each team’s opponents will be decided by computer, rather than using a traditional draw. The teams will be ranked in one big 36-team table, with the top eight sides automatically qualifying for the round of 16.
But, here’s the catch – Shara claims that he copyrighted the hybrid system in Chile in 2006 and has been trying to get UEFA to recognize his ownership of the format. He’s sent a cease-and-desist notice to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, secretary general Theodore Theodoridis, and six other senior members of staff.
Shara is demanding that UEFA "indicates at the draw and all upcoming publications" that it is his format, invites him and three colleagues from his MatchVision company to attend the draw, and lets him speak to the media. He’s also asking UEFA to tell its member associations and commercial partners that they must respect MatchVision’s ownership of the format.
The clock is ticking, with Shara giving UEFA until Wednesday, August 28th, to comply with his demands. If not, he warns that a "lawsuit may be commenced against UEFA and the competitions may be jeopardised in one or more countries where UEFA member associations reside."
What’s Next?
As the Champions League draw approaches, the situation is becoming increasingly tense. UEFA has yet to comment on the matter, but it’s clear that Shara is not backing down.
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