Saudi Clubs in UEFA Champions League? Pro League Director Responds to 'Wild Card' Claims

Last month, several media reports emerged from the Saudi Pro League that they were submitting an extraordinary request to be included in the UEFA Champions League competition in the near future. The request meant that Saudi Pro League league winners be included as a 'wild card entry.' However, Emenalo, the ex-director of Chelsea, has given clear indications that this will not be happening any time in the future.
Fans in Europe were at one point thinking they would be able to see a few of their stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, featuring in Europe again, with an opportunity to watch them play with Champions League tickets, but these speculations are no longer valid.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Emenalo stated, "I don't know where that's come from. I think that's someone taking a dreamy leap into a far-fetched future. I think our goal is to take quality baby steps, and the first step is to stabilize our league, make it very entertaining for our fans, and get fans across the world to pay attention to what we're doing."
There is no denying that the Saudi Pro League has gotten its fair share of interest from the footballing world with all the high-profile transfers from Europe. Several renowned players, including Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, and Jordan Henderson, moved to Saudi Arabia as the league aims for rapid growth. With the summer transfer window now closed, Saudi clubs can shift their focus to football, as the next round of games will kick off in the next few weeks.
The Champions League will undergo a significant transformation in the format change starting from the 2024-25 season. This addition will also bring in more options for Champions League tickets.
Increased Number of Teams: The group stage will increase from 36 to 32.
Additional Places for Top Leagues: Two of the four are awarded to the best-performing leagues in the current season. These places go to the following teams in the top two leagues in the league standings that have not automatically qualified for the Champions League. These two spots will benefit more competitive clubs qualifying for Europe.
Extra Spot for the Fifth-Ranked League: The league that finishes fifth in the UEFA coefficient will now be eligible for another place in the Champions League draw.
This qualification spot is on the overall performance of all clubs from that league in European competitions. Eredivisie (Netherlands) has recently overtaken Ligue 1 (France) in this ranking, which means that Dutch fans have more opportunities to watch European football with Champions League tickets.
Qualifying Path for Champions: A new spot goes to the champions' qualifying path. Instead of four, five teams will now come through this route to the group phase. However, this place cannot go to a team from the top 10 leagues, as their champions don't go through qualifying.
The English Premier League (EPL) gets four automatic places in the group stage. If the EPL is among the top two leagues in coefficient performance this season, a fifth team will qualify directly for the group stage. These four spots are regardless of the individual places that go to the next team in the domestic league table.
The EPL has been among the top two leagues for coefficient performance in six of the last seven seasons. It's well-positioned to secure five direct group stage places. The coefficient score is calculated based on the performance of clubs from a league in European competitions.
If more clubs are participating in European competitions, it can affect the coefficient score.
With eight English clubs in Europe this season, each win will be worth slightly less for the coefficient score than when there were seven clubs. While it's likely that the EPL will secure five group stage places, a poor performance by the additional English clubs could jeopardize this. However, it would take a substantial drop from the English sides for the positions to drop.
The allocation of the extra places is typically determined by March, depending on which leagues have teams in the quarterfinals of European competitions. However, it could go down to the wire and be decided by the UEFA Champions League final outcome.
The format change could create situations where clubs from the same league affect each other's qualification. For example, an English club winning the Champions League could open up an extra spot for another English club, even if they finish outside the top four in the domestic league. The Champions League format change will significantly impact European football, benefiting top leagues and creating more competition for coveted group stage spots.
Of the clubs that will benefit the most from the restructuring, it will be Newcastle United. Newcastle United will gain even more significant financial rewards if they qualify for the Champions League in the coming years.
UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), including a new revenue distribution model for the 2024-2027 cycle. This MoU coincides with a revamp of the Champions League format.
Newcastle United will compete in the final campaign of the Champions League group stages under the current format before the competition expands and transitions to the Swiss league model from the following season. From 2024/25, each team participating in the Champions League will be guaranteed at least eight games and receive a higher equal share figure just for qualifying.
While competing in the Champions League is already lucrative, UEFA has introduced changes that will make it even more financially rewarding for clubs. Here are the key points:
1 Increased Prize Money Share: Clubs that qualify for the Champions League will receive 27.5% of the prize money. This money will be equally distributed among all 36 participating teams.
This ensures a significant financial boost for clubs by participating in the competition.
2 Enhanced Performance Bonuses: The share of the prize money pot allocated to performance bonuses will increase to 37.5%. This includes bonuses for wins and draws in the opening group stage and for advancing through the competition's knockout stages.
These changes will make playing in the Champions League even more financially lucrative for clubs. UEFA has projected that there will be approximately £3.78 billion in combined commercial revenues available for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League in the upcoming season. This represents an 18% increase compared to the current season's total commercial revenues.
For Newcastle United and other clubs aspiring to compete at the highest level of European football, these changes in the revenue distribution model offer more significant financial incentives and rewards for success in the Champions League. It will also mean that more games will be in the calendar for each new club that will qualify, entailing more Champions League tickets sold for home games.