UEFA Introduce a third European club competition

UEFA are reportedly tinkering with the idea of a third European club competition alongside the Champions League and Europa League from 2021, so says the head of the association of Europe's biggest teams.

European Club Association (ECA) chairman Andrea Agnelli, who is also on UEFA's executive committee, confirmed that the “the green light has been given”.

Agnelli did not give any more details on how the tournament would be organized.

“The current model needs modernizing,” the ECA chairman said.

“A detailed assessment of the existing international match calendar is required prior to presenting a new model post-2024.”

Speaking at the annual general assembly of the ECA in Croatia, Agnelli, who is also chairman of Italian champions Juventus, said the third competition would increase the number of clubs involved in European football from 80 to 96.

The Champions League currently features 32 teams in the group stage and the second-tier Europa League has 48.

The Cup Winners' Cup – for domestic cup champions – was ditched in 1999.

In a statement, UEFA announced that it is “constantly reviewing the format of its competitions and is looking at a variety of options”.