Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has expressed displeasure at the new Champions League reform made by the governing body of European football, the Union of European Football Associations.
UEFA announced the new reform last Monday that would see the number of teams competing in the Champions League rise from 32 to 36, coming amidst reports of the controversial Super League.
Sky Sports reported that the group stage would be replaced by a single league stage known as the’ Swiss Model’.
This means that all teams who make it to the competition would play at least 10 games in the first stage, four more than they play in the present format.
Relating to the new development during his pre-match media conference on Monday ahead of his team’s Champions League semifinals against Real Madrid, Tuchel said: “I’m not sure if I like it because I can only see more games out of it. In the schedule that we have, it’s very hard for me to be excited at all.”
“All these discussions about the Super League made us forget that we have a new format of Champions League very soon,” continued Tuchel. “Did they ask any coach about this? I don’t think so. They did not ask me. Did they ask any player about it? I don’t think so.
“There are so many new formats – we have Nations League, we have a new world championship for the clubs coming soon, we have more teams in the European Championship in summer. It’s just more and more and more games, but not more quality.
“At the same time we have three substitutes here in the Premier League, in the toughest competition.
“No, I’m not happy about this format, not at all. But I was not involved,” he said.
