World Cup to change to biennial event?
(news24.com)
Updated: 2006-06-06 14:52 A radical plan to restructure
international football, prepared for top European clubs, envisages the World Cup
being held every two years, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
The proposal, called "Grand Slam World", is part of a presentation
commissioned by the G-14 grouping of European clubs - a collection of the 18
richest sides in Europe - by Hypercube, a Dutch consultancy.
Making the World Cup, which starts in Germany on Friday, a biennial event is
the most radical of four options outlined in a 36-page presentation, the
newspaper said.
Another option called "Grand Slam Euro" would see continental tournaments,
such as the European championship, also held every two years, while a possible
World Cup for clubs would be contested every four years.
A third option, under which weaker countries would have to pre-qualify for
continental championships, would permit expansion of the lucrative European
Champions League.
This is contested each year by Europe's top clubs, including many members of
the G-14 which was formed in 2000 and kept its name when it added four more
members two years later.
Members include Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich,
but not Chelsea, bankrolled by Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich and perhaps
the richest club of all.
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