West Ham news: Kieran Maguire shreds Uefa as Karren Brady fumes over ‘£50m-plus’ blow
Karren Brady is right – the rebooted Champions League is set to hand privileged clubs a £50million-plus edge over the likes of West Ham.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the new competition format set to be rolled out in 2024-25.
The revamped Champions League will swell from 32 to 36 teams, with the number of matches almost double the current total.
Further Uefa reforms are set to hand out two places in the expanded competition based on historic merit rather than final domestic league position.
Writing in her column in The Sun last Saturday (2 April), Irons vice-chair Brady slammed the move and labelled it a “Putin-esque about-turn”.
Maguire explained why the new measures will make it even more difficult for the likes of West Ham to smash the glass ceiling in the Premier League.
“The new Champions League is the Super League wearing a false moustache and glasses,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“The aim is for the ‘sneaky six’ to always qualify for the Champions League.
“If West Ham finish in the top four, it’s not a problem. But there’s a danger we could regularly have five or even six English teams in the Champions League.
“From when these rules come in, it’s going to be worth between £50m and £150m to get in the Champions League.
“For a club like West Ham, if you’re trying to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs, it makes it really difficult when they have a £50m headstart.
“West Ham generated £193m in 2020-21, which is really good. But those other clubs have effectively got a quarter of that revenue as a headstart.
“It’s a bit like starting a race but you’re 20 metres behind everyone else.”
West Ham are currently 6th in the Premier League, just three points outside the top four.
David Moyes’ side, who drew 1-1 with Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final first leg last night (7 April), take on Brentford on Sunday (10 April).
In other news, medical expert warns West Ham over Ben Johnson amid ‘crucial’ claim