Kieran Maguire: Man City to launch protest as USA Champions League talks revealed
Man City are set to protest increased fan costs if Uefa allows the United States to host Champions League matches.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively spoke to Football Insider about the ‘huge’ financial boost for Uefa and individual clubs if the Champions League is hosted outside of Europe.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin revealed via Men in Blazers that talks have been held over hosting the Champions League in the United States.
Ceferin revealed that the European competition could be hosted in America after 2026 when the World Cup is set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“It’s possible,” said Ceferin. “We started to discuss that but then one year it was the World Cup, [20]24 is Euro, this year is Istanbul, ’24 is London and ’25 is Munich and after that, let’s see.”
Maguire believes moving the Champions League could be a ‘huge money earner’, with Saudi Arabia another option for Uefa.
“Uefa are increasingly keen to follow the money, so if the money is in the USA, Riyadh or in other markets then it is a possibility that they could host Champions League matches,” Maguire told Football Insider.
“Similar to what we experienced in lockdown, we could see the Champions League semi-finals and final take place in a 7-10 day period.
“It could be a huge money earner for Uefa as there will be many countries willing to pay substantial amounts of money to host the competition.
“That money will flow through to the individual clubs which will keep them happy.
“You can see why clubs such as Man City will protest the increased cost for fans, but they will also see the financial benefits to the club overall.“
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