UCL final in USA: Aleksander Ceferin does not rule out that the final of the Champions League will be played in the United States in the future. The president of UEFA is impressed by the sports experience in the country and points to the financial picture.
UEFA boss alludes to Champions League final in the United States
In the coming years, the final of the Champions League will take place in Istanbul (2022/23), London (2023/24) and Munich (2024/25). In the Men in Blazers podcast, Ceferin was asked what the next destination for the final battle could be. “It is possible that the final will be played in the United States,” he replied. “In the coming years everything is still fixed, but after that we will look. It is a possibility.”
The US, which is organizing the World Cup in 2026 together with Canada and Mexico, can therefore also hope for the first official European club competition in the country. “Football has become extremely popular there,” continued Ceferin. “Americans are willing to pay a high price for the best the sport has to offer. That means they follow European football like basketball fans in Europe follow the NBA.”
United States is a promising market for the future
Ceferin concluded his speech by saying that the United States is at least a promising market for the future. He said, “It is a fact that our rights sell very well. Sponsorship from the US is still lagging somewhat, but commercialization there is completely different from Europe. They are much more talented in this than we are.”
New York Red Bulls embraces Belgian striker again after racism riot
Dante Vanzeir returns to the New York Red Bulls training field. The Belgian striker has been suspended for six weeks after a racism riot, but can at least train again with his employer.
During the game against San Jose Earthquakes, Vanzeir disagreed with a referee’s decision, saying “What a monkey”. By this he meant, in his own words: what a dumbass. Opponent Jeremy Ebobisse thought that Vanzeir had other intentions and reacted upset. The attacker went through the dust and accepted a six-game suspension and a $10,000 fine. In addition, Vanzeir must take a course to prevent a recurrence.
Vanzeir will therefore not play in the New York Red Bulls shirt for the time being and decided not to participate in the training until further notice. That measure has since been lifted after a thorough investigation. The Major League Soccer (MLS) committee believes that Vanzeir indeed had no racist intent towards anyone, but used a wrong word that can be very sensitive.
After that ruling, the New York Red Bulls decided to allow Vanzeir back on the training field. His teammates would also support that decision. Normally, Vanzeir can make his comeback on May 21 against Montreal Impact.
