UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed that Saudi Arabian teams, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, will not be allowed to participate in the Champions League.
This decision comes after media reports suggested that Saudi teams could potentially receive wildcard entries into the competition.
Ceferin stated that only European clubs are eligible to participate in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
Additionally, he dismissed the possibility of hosting the Champions League final in the United States, emphasizing that only European federations can apply to host the final.
Ceferin expressed confidence that Saudi football would not pose a threat to European football, citing previous examples such as China’s unsuccessful attempt to develop its football industry.
He also questioned the ambitions of top players who choose to move to Saudi Arabia, suggesting that players like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland would not dream of playing there.
The Champions League group stage draw is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
