UEFA is reportedly planning to invite Al Nassr to participate in the 2024-25 Champions League on the grounds that the Saudi club where Cristiano Ronaldo plays is one of the three most popular clubs in the world. This is the news bouncing back from Arabia and picked up by Britain’s Football Talk. But from UEFA they let it be known that nothing has changed from what its president Aleksander Čeferin said a few weeks ago, “I can say that only European clubs are allowed to participate in the Champions League, Europa League or the Europa League.”
In addition to the (not insignificant) issue of compliance with Financial Fair Play, there is also the fact that from next season the new format of the Champions League will start, with the number of teams increasing from 32 to 36 in a single group on the style of basketball’s Euroleague. For calendar reasons, of course, the teams will not all be able to face each other, but each lineup will face the same number of opponents divided by bracket and drawn. The number of guaranteed games will also increase from 6 to 8, four at home and four away.
In this scenario, the still unanswered question arises, namely who will eventually leave the Al Nassr’s place and according to what criteria the excluded teammates will be chosen. There is also, then, to consider the reaction of the fans to this eventuality, those same fans who said no to the SuperLega and would now see a team imposed merely for economic reasons. But UEFA reiterates: only European clubs.
Literally only “source” Ive seen from this is a Saudi twitter account. Not sure if Saudi “journalist” or whatever but yeah… that same tweet literally said that Al Nassr is viewed as a top 5 popular team in the world.
Literally came off as a propagande tweet from a bullshitter, not legit reports and news.
Also… the contracts and frameworks with UEFA etc would be really fucking shit if it allowed them to just invite random favorites of theirs to split spotlight and revenue etc with. Current clubs would not like that.
It does feel like only a matter of time now until they get in
the Saudi club is one of the three most popular clubs in the world.
This is enough to say about the ridiculousness of this “rumor” and that it should only be treated as fan fiction.
they’d get destroyed if they did, their team is very unbalanced. Outside of Laporte they have nothing at the back because of Saudi league squad rules
So we are back to Super League, but UEFA get a cut of the money
I find it hard to believe the AFC would just passively allow this without issue.