With the top-level juggernaut careering away the majority of Europe?s clubs need help and should be better rewarded for stars they rear
While a dozen of Europe?s elite clubs were chasing the American dream, 170 of their less garlanded peers gathered for a barbecue next to Lake Geneva. They had converged on Uefa?s headquarters to attend the qualifying round draws for next season?s continental competitions; Tuesday night was time to get together, perhaps to speed-date representatives of the team you had been paired with or simply to cut loose before a labyrinthine summer spent journeying in search of league-phase football.
Borussia Dortmund were slugging out a goalless draw with Fluminense while the meat hit the grills, but ?Club World Cup? is a dirty formulation in Nyon?s corridors of power. Any available screens showed action from Uefa?s own Under-21 Championship and alternative sources of entertainment roamed the pastel green lawns. A caricature artist did the rounds, stopping at the table occupied by Aleksander Ceferin and putting his pencil to work.
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