UEFA Champions League 2012 Rumors: UCL to Merge with Europa League to Create 64 Team Tournament?

The first round of the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League will come to an end Tuesday and Wednesday with the final set of matches in the group stage set to take place. However, the biggest story regarding the UCL has nothing to do with this week's matches.

UEFA President Michel Platini has initiated a controversial debate on whether the UCL should merge with the Europa League. The Europa League is a second tier consolation competition for clubs that we were unable to qualify atop their leagues for the UCL.

The problem with the Europa League is that it is overshadowed by the UCL and usually ends up making no money for none of the teams involved or for UEFA. However, the bigger issue seems to arise from the fact that the tournament does little to actually help the teams participating in the competition. According to Independent.ie, teams that play Thursday night Europa League matches average 0.41 points less per game on Sunday night league matches.

A great deal of pundits are against the idea. The Telegraph stated that adding 32 more teams would diminish the competitive edge of the tournament. Independent.ie added that "Football needs a competitive edge and that would be absent or dulled to the point of irrelevance if the top six or seven in a league were allowed into the Champions League." There has been discussion of letting the Europa League champs obtain a berth in the following year's UCL.

Ultimately this decision comes down to financials as a number of clubs know that a UCL berth would help them financially. Take a team like AC Milan. They are currently benefitting from a solid UCL run. However, they are having a dreadful year in the Italian League where they reside in 6^th place with 21 points. Only the first two teams on the table qualify for the UCL in Italy with the third having a chance to qualify. However, AC Milan is currently 10 points behind third and 12 behind 2^nd place. At the pace they have been going, there is no way they make the UCL next season. As a result however this club, which usually does well financially in part due to the UCL, will struggle financially next season. Since they are one of UEFA's biggest clubs, it is unlikely that the governing body wants to see such a club suffer.