John Collins has called on UEFA to keep clubs like Celtic in mind when designing their new blueprint for the Champions League. European football’s governing body has been asked to consider proposals to extend the group stage of the competition from 32 to 40 or 48 teams.
The Times reports that the expansion plan will be discussed at a summit meeting on September 11th. The new plans are seen as a compromise to Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli’s “closed competition” vision.
Former Celtic man Collins hopes the new proposals also effect qualifying and give sides like Celtic a fairer crack of the whip.
He told the Daily Record: “It’s really unfair but it is what is and clubs like Celtic and Ajax just have to get on with it.
“It’s getting worse for the likes of Celtic. I don’t know how it’s going to change but it would be ideal if it did.
“It would be fairer if Celtic had two qualifiers for example. Four qualifiers is a big ask for the league champions.”
Ideal solution
Collins is of course right. It’s absolutely ludicrous that a team of Celtic’s standing and the champions of Scotland have to play four qualifying rounds to make it through to the hallowed group stages. Sadly it’s the reality for now but by 2024 things may be very different.
The latest plans look pretty encouraging for Celtic’s future in the tournament. A 40 or 48 team group stage would give us a better chance of qualification because there would be more spaces available. At the moment, Neil Lennon’s men fight it out for just four places from the ‘Champions route’. That number would be likely to increase in the proposed new format.
Things would also improve for the club if and when we made it to the group stage. An expanded competition would create more matchdays meaning we could play as many as ten group stage games compared to the current six. Selling ten high level matches to potential signings and sponsors is much easier than six.
It would also give fans more big European nights at Celtic Park. That can hardly be a bad thing.
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