The ‘Azzurri’ patron spoke to Sport Bild and commented on the latest innovations introduced by UEFA for the European competition
During an interview with Sport Bild, Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president of Napoli, expressed his dissatisfaction with the new format of the Champions League set to commence in 2024, which he described as “crazy”.
De Laurentiis criticized the expansion of teams from 32 to 36, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of matches played, jeopardizing both players’ health and club finances. He emphasized that the entire tournament must be radically changed.
In addition to his criticisms, De Laurentiis proposed some ideas to renew football, which he believes could yield at least ten billion euros.
He suggested reducing the number of teams in national championships from 18 or 20 to 16, reducing the load on the top six clubs in each of the five major leagues: England, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy.
De Laurentiis also expressed his concern about the relationship between the European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA, stating that the ECA no longer represents the clubs and has merged with UEFA, which now manages an excessive amount of money.
