Saudi Arabia reportedly want a team in the Champions League as they plan a sensational ‘wild card’ request to UEFA.
According to a report in Corriere dello Sport, Saudi authorities want the Pro League winners to have a shot at the Champions League from the 2024-25 season. They plan to propose a wild card entry that would allow the Saudi domestic league champions to participate in Europe’s top club competition.
The Think-Tank at Jeddah would request UEFA to discard the current structure of the competition and replace it with a single championship-like format with 36 teams with eight matches for each team before the knockout stages. This would not only enable UEFA to increase the number of matches but also allow the Saudi team to participate in Europe.
If this proposal gets accepted by UEFA, it could potentially see the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar play in Europe once again. Moreover, this would undoubtedly further enhance the profile and prestige of the Saudi Pro League on a global scale.
This is a significant challenge for the Saudi authorities to convince UEFA as it might require a complete structural overhaul of the competition. It remains to be seen if this proposal sees light at the end of the tunnel.
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