European soccer’s governing body has also agreed to a new central branding scheme for the UEFA Cup – and dismissed, for the time being at least, central marketing of the tournament.
UEFA's Executive Committee heard that the central branding concept would apply for an initial period of two years.
From 2004/05, the UEFA Cup will feature a 40-team group stage after the first knockout round, with the teams drawn into eight groups of five teams each.
From the group stage, 24 teams - the top three clubs in each group - will go through to the closing knockout stages. In keeping with current practice, the eight teams that finish in third position in each of the eight groups at the end of the UEFA Champions League group stage will join the UEFA Cup at this point to make up the 32-team knockout stage of the competition. The new format was born after consultation between UEFA and Europe's major clubs amid a common desire to enhance the UEFA Cup's commercial and sporting appeal.
Said UEFA CEO Lars-Christer Olsson: "There have been discussions over the past few months whether there should also be some kind of central marketing for the UEFA Cup. The decision now is that the competition will be marketed by the individual clubs, but there will be a central branding of the competition to help to promote the new format."
Meanwhile TEAM Marketing faces a challenge from Octagon and Sportfive for the Champions League commercial rights for the 2006-2009 period.
UEFA will review the tender documents during April, and will announce the successful bidder in May.
Meanwhile, FIFA will hold its second financial press conference next month.
To be held in Zurich on April 6, the meeting will focus purely on the latest financial situation at the world governing body.
Detailed information will be given of the consolidated financial statements for the year 2003 - the first year in the new 2003-2006 World Cup business cycle. As already announced, FIFA netted a profit of CHF141m after income of CHF712m and expenditure of CHF571m. For the first time ever, the accounting procedure used in 2003 complied with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in keeping with a decision passed by the FIFA Congress in 2000.
TEAM, Octagon and Sportfive are the three candidates for the new Champions League marketing contract, UEFA has confirmed.
