UEFA are considering plans to scrap the Europa League, according to President Michel Platini. Asked about the possibility of ditching football’s red-headed stepchild in favour of an expansion of the Champions League, Platini replied that although they’re thinking about it, nothing is yet decided:
If UEFA want to ditch the Europa League, that’s fine by us
There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018. We’re discussing it, we will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet.
Obviously everything is in flux and there’s no real indication that the Europa League will be left on a rocky slope for the wolves to devour, which is a shame because that’s about what it deserves. It’s a pointless waste of space that’s taken seriously by about one and a half leagues, and the sooner it goes away, the better. But... expanding the Champions League? I don’t know about that. The group stages are already pointless enough.
If UEFA really want to, say, double the number of teams participating in the CL, they should seriously considering turning it into a seeded 64-team two-legged knockout tournament. I know that’s fewer games than the ‘everyone’s guaranteed to play six times’ business, and will therefore never happen, but it would be really, really cool.
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