The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious trophy in world football, to some extent even more worthy than the FIFA World Cup given the money involved in the competition for competing clubs and the eventual winners. It’s the stage for all the best players in the world to perform and whereas the World Cup is determined by nationalities, the Champions League is more accessible and more regular. The winners of the competition are the kings of Europe, but for a competition that plays in and out of domestic European leagues, should there be a new system in place for the Champions League as an end of season tournament?

It’s an idea that a friend of mine has suggested for some time and at first, I thought it was too radical to work, but now after some thinking it’s actually an idea worthy of consideration for the future of the game. Especially if FIFA get their way and stage 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the winter, an end of season Champions League tournament would suit.

How would it work? Well there are 11 Champions League midweek fixtures during the course of the season, replace these with domestic fixtures and the top domestic leagues in Europe can finish much earlier than usual by the end of March/early April. The UEFA Champions League can then take place as a month long tournament running from April into May, similar to how the World Cup is structured.

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What’s the point, I hear you ask? Well, teams competing in the Champions League will be able to concentrate on their domestic commitments without having to rest players for the mid-week European games. Plus, as a competition, the Champions League will be more fair as an overall competition as a month tournament rather than split over a season.

Plus, the Champions League as an end of season tournament would have more of a national following where countries will get behind their national teams. It would be like having a club world cup every year which would be a better spectacle.

On the flip side, objections to this idea would be that teams competing in the competition may be fatigued for the tournament after playing a domestic season and the quality of the Champions League may suffer as a result.

However, not playing European football during the league season may allow players to be fitter for an end of the season tournament, with less travelling involved for squads. Although teams from Russia and Scandinavian countries would have to play the tournament during their domestic league season, it will be more beneficial for them than the current system, where crucial European ties are played during their pre-season.

If the Champions League is to determine the true kings of Europe, then I can’t see any objections as to why an end of season format is best way forward. It would not even effect World Cup years as the tournament is played during June and July.

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