Letter from Monaco: Ireland drifts further to the margins of UEFA's 'meritocracy'

Amid the glitz, glamour and excess of the Côte d'Azur, European football gets ready to expand and leave the lesser lights further dimmed

VVIP LANE: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin gestures as he arrives for the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Pic: AP Photo/Daniel Cole

Champions League fever in Ireland usually peaks in July but it's September before the real stuff kicks off in the eyes of UEFA.

A trip to Monte Carlo this week as part of UEFA’s jury for the player and coach of the year presented a window to view up close the razmataz around what they consider the best competition on the planet.

No expense is spared and the annual setting on the Côte d'Azur is apt. Monaco is Europe’s playground for the rich and the salubrious Grimaldi Forum venue overlooking the sea is surrounded by showrooms stocked with cars no less than six figures in price. There was even a seven-figure gas guzzler spotted.

Within the UEFA financial model, the Champions league remains their cash cow. Income from broadcast rights, sponsors and tickets snowballs their turnover, making it hardly surprising they’ve expanded the beast from next season.

Four extra slots will be added to the coveted group stage, swelling the volume of games for the 36 teams from 125 to 189 and adding two extra matchnights.

There were no sighs in the auditorium from the attendance of 2000 sat in the velvet cushioned seats when the famous Italian draw conductor Giorgio Marchetti lamented the end of the present format.

An immediate backlash to the concept of allocating slots based on historical results, rather than merely the previous season, prompted a rethink but it still favours the big leagues around Europe.

Two of the additional berths are earmarked for the highest performing pair of leagues, England and Italy last season, while the fourth-ranked league grabs one as well. France and Netherlands are tussling for that prize.

Just one quarter of the extras are available to the other 49 leagues.

Shamrock Rovers began in mid-July as one of 53 teams part of the qualifying phase. From the three rounds – Rovers bowed out to Icelandic opposition in the first – and the playoffs, a measly six teams emerge.

All the rest included in Thursday’s draw either were placed there directly or by winning the Europa League, as Sevilla did. Union Berlin were the newcomers but hail from one of the powerhouses.

RC Lens, Copenhagen and Antwerp were the others who plan to utilise the riches associated with being in what’s essentially a Super League to invest in their squads to ensure qualification is an annual occurrence. Next year sees the groups spike in size from the customary four teams to nine.

That system illustrates to leagues like Ireland how much of a pipedream Europe’s Premier competition stays. That it’s even called the Champions League is ridiculous in itself, for Spain alone accounts for five places. From next season, at least two affiliates will have five representatives.

Romantic tales from yesteryear of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich coming to Ireland for European Cup ties will age well given the fact the sole chance of clashing with them in the modern era is if they were somehow cascade into the Conference League.

This third competition is now in its third year. UEFA like to celebrate the great and good, scheduling their ‘European Club Football Season Kick-off Party’ directly after the Champions League draw on Thursday night and before the Europa and Conference draws on the Friday.

The line-ups for those two weren’t fully known ‘til playoff games concluded on Thursday, meaning both contenders from the ties get invited to France and half could drown their sorrows on the complimentary wine and Heineken late into the night within the palatial Sporting Monte-Carlo complex. A Michael Jackson tribute band for entertainment probably deepened their thirst. 

Guests were encouraged to walk between the draw hall and party location but the glitterati were spared the 15-minute trip, as a fleet of chauffeur-driven Mercedes pulled up to the red carpet.

One of the UEFA blazers to alight was Theodore Theodoridis, the General Secretary who was billeted to Leinster House in 2019 when the FAI were facing examinership. The Greek could laugh at the chaos of it all when he was reminded.

Inside the vast room were high tables accommodating the various club officials and guests - among them were ambassadors Luis Figo and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Ordinarily they might have been joined by Robbie Keane but he was double-booked with his new team Maccabi Tel-Aviv against Celje, conquerors of Dundalk in 2020, in Conference League action.

Whenever Aleksander Čeferin encounters Ireland’s top scorer again, he’s sure to bring up Keane’s feat of denying a team from the UEFA President’s homeland their name in Friday’s draw.

It was open plan for guests to fill their canapes, bar an elevated area roped off for the likes of Čeferin and Theodoridis to mingle with those deemed VVIPs. This was John Delaney’s habitat for the almost two years he spent on UEFA executive committee. He must miss chats with PSG Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi at the top table.

Ireland did at least have a representative involved on stage – Champions League winner John O’Shea brought in as the link to the Europa final being held at the Aviva, sorry, Dublin Stadium – yet the country is drifting further to the margins of the meritocracy UEFA pride themselves on.