Changes to the European Cup represent the desire for football to continue growing but alterations may harm its legitimacy
The worlds of Marvel superheroes and European club football aren’t so dissimilar. They are massively popular forms of entertainment, competing for eyeballs in the global marketplace. They have traditional fans who remember things how they used to be and those who want a product that reflects their lives now. They each boast a roster of names that vary in terms of recognition (for every Incredible Hulk or Barcelona, there is a Moon Knight or FC Krasnodar) and right now they are setting up their next chapter.
For Marvel it is about expansion: more TV shows, more characters and more movies. The powers of European football want similar growth, but in which direction? Casting himself as football’s own Sorcerer Supreme this week was Andrea Agnelli and the multiverse of possibilities he presented struck many as particularly crazy.
Related: Andrea Agnelli says agreement on 'ideal' new-look Champions League is close
First used in a Zurich chess tournament over a century ago, the 'Swiss system' has rarely featured in elite sport - but that could change if Uefa agrees a radical shake-up of the Champions League group stages.
Related: RB Leipzig's Angeliño: 'The pressure is more on Liverpool than us'
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