Source:REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the UEFA Super Cup may be transformed into a tournament with four teams ahead of the season. This opens the possibility of holding the season opener outside Europe, with the U.S. or the Middle East as potential locations. The European football governing body previously proposed reforms to the Super Cup format. In a document circulated in 2022 for the sale of TV rights for the 2024–2027 cycle, a new “opening tournament” of the UEFA Champions League was mentioned. It is understood that this would involve four clubs, two semi-finals, and a final, but no details were given about additional participation criteria beyond the current winners of the two competitions (considering that winning the Europa League automatically qualifies a team for the Champions League). This idea was quietly put aside but may resurface in the new round of TV rights bidding currently being evaluated by UEFA and its newly appointed U.S. media rights sales partner Relevent. It is expected that European broadcasters will not increase their offers, but Relevent will try to tap into the growing U.S. market, which has shown strong interest in club matches.