European Leagues, the organisation that represents the 32 leagues across the continent, has reacted angrily to reports that UEFA is set to launch a third competition.
European Club Association (ECA) president Andrea Agnelli confirmed the news following a meeting in Split.
“Pending approval of the UEFA executive committee, the green light has been given to introduce a third competition, bringing the overall number of clubs to 96, as of the 2021-22 season,” a statement said.
But European Leagues is angry at not having been consulted about the new proposal.
“We are not happy about the process at all because this is something that has been prepared and cooked up by UEFA and the ECA without proper engagement,” deputy general secretary Alberto Colombo told the Press Association.
“Despite [president Lars-Christer Olsson] being a member of the UEFA ExCo, we have not been consulted.”
It is not clear exactly how the new third competition would work and whether it would be similar to the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, which was disbanded in 1999.