When UEFA announced the introduction of a tertiary continental club competition, it’s fair to say that the idea received a lukewarm reception at best. While some, for various reasons, did instantly herald the UEFA Europa Conference League as a welcome addition to the European calendar, for the majority it appeared to be another maverick UEFA project – a concept formulated by a governing body seemingly more concerned with validating its own role against a backdrop of rising ‘super’ club power than adding real value to the game. Clearly, there were also financial motivations involved, with UEFA looking to eke out every ounce of commercial potential from its lucrative estate. Nevertheless, even the most ardent critics of Europe’s governing body would concede that it’s unlikely that the instalment of a third tournament—with all the complexities and added organisation this entails—would be created exclusively under the pretence of protecting profits and legitimising UEFA’s position.
Regardless of its catalysts, however, we’re now, after the UEFA Europa Conference League’s inaugural eighteen months in operation, able to draw some informed, early conclusions about its status within the overarching framework of European club football, its popularity amongst fans, players, and coaches alike, and whether the three-competition format is sustainable amidst an already saturated footballing calendar. Indeed, adding further fixtures to an already relentless schedule was always going to be an unavoidable by-product of this endeavour.
So, do the advantages of this Conference League outweigh the almost insurmountable pressure it serves to apply to an already bustling fixture list? UEFA’s challenge in this regard was made all the more difficult given FIFA’s decision to land the World Cup slap bang in the middle of most of its associate members’ respective league seasons. Furthermore, even allowing for the fixture congestion dynamic, is a competition for the third-tier of European clubs really that important? Is the quality of the product enough to justify its existence, and should sides unable to reach the standard of the Europa League group stages really be accommodated with another opportunity to feel like a continental-level force?
