The clubs plan to reformulate the model of the League Cup and the Portuguese Cup, but keep the competitive frameworks of the I and II League, revealed on Friday the president of the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP), Pedro Proença.
The issue was discussed at the Summit of Presidents of the LPFP, held in Porto, attended by all presidents of sports associations participating in professional championships, who agreed in majority to reduce the League Cup to four clubs, which will compete alone in a final four.
“Following the competitive changes for 2024 promoted by UEFA, the proposal is to reduce the number of teams in the League Cup and respective competitions, but keep the last four. An internationalization project, which takes advantage of the period, is on the table to play these games in an international space”said Pedro Proenca.
Regarding the four teams that qualify to participate in these final four, the manager said the model will still be studied, but it may succeed “classified in the top four in the league, in the previous season”🇧🇷
On the proposed changes to the Portuguese Cup, which must be submitted by the LPFP for approval by the Portuguese Football Federation, the clubs defend, according to Pedro Proença, “passing on only one match of the phase of the competition played in two hands [meias-finais]🇧🇷🇧🇷
The president of the LPFP recalled that the measures discussed at the summit of presidents on Friday, “a political body”will have to be formalized in the form of proposals to be voted on in the General Assembly of the LPFP.
This need for change in clubs stems from the overhaul that UEFA plans to carry out, starting in the 2024/25 season, in European competitions, namely in the Champions League, which will cut four weeks of national competitions.
The need to adjust the time available to compete should fall into the models of the Cups, according to the clubs [de Portugal e da Liga]as most agree that the leagues should maintain 18-team formats.
“The decision of the clubs is to keep 18 teams in the I and II League”shared Pedro Proenca.
The leader of the LPFP also revealed that at this summit of presidents, the first of this season, the process of centralization of audiovisual rights was discussed, with the president of the Spanish League, Javier Tebas, attending the meeting and sharing the model used in the neighboring country.
“The process of centralizing audiovisual rights is irreversible, and clubs are still equating anticipation with implementation [apontada para 2028]🇧🇷 It will be the market to determine if this can happen” said Pedro Proenca.
The leader reminded that the aim is to centralize rights “reduce the difference between the highest earners and the rest, which currently has a ratio of 1 in 15″and although the model to be implemented is not yet described in detail, it guarantees the assumption “is to maintain the minimum values of the current contracts [televisivos]and a large part of the increase goes to those who earn the least”🇧🇷
“The model to follow could be that of La Liga [Espanha]in which 50% of the income is distributed equally, 25% for the sporting achievements of the previous season and the remaining 25% through the processes of implementing the clubs’ brands in the national space”shared Pedro Proenca.
When asked whether or not the implementation of the centralization model will involve a revision of the competitive models, the leader of the LPFP said: “presented a study commissioned by the League to a company, which points to a direct correlation between the competitive model and the value of audiovisual rights”namely that the reduction of games could lead to a reduction in the value of the respective rights.
“Five models were presented, realizing the implications in loosening the schedule, but also realizing the consequence in the value of audiovisual rights”confirmed Pedro Proenca.
Some club leaders, both from the I and II League, heard at the end of this presidential summit, how important it is to implement the centralization of television rights to “improve the competitiveness of sports associations and championships”.
Source: DN
