UEFA-backed merger of Russian and Ukrainian leagues boosts Celtic’s Euro league hopes

THE POSSIBILITY of a European League took a step closer last night after UEFA approved a merger between the Russian and Ukrainian leagues.

The proposed merger is thought to be a direct response to the fact that Europe’s top leagues are growing in strength and the Russians remain convinced that unification is the only way they can compete.

President of CSKA Moscow Evgeny Gliner said: “We need to make it so there is fan interest, sponsor interest and TV interest.”

Talks are set to continue but UEFA’s willingness to approve the planned merger

A linkup has also been mooted between the Serbian and Bosnian leagues, and with Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell talking up regionalisation of football leagues, the creation of a European Championship comprising teams from Belgium, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian nations appears less of a fantasy than first thought.

Plans have been suggested for similar leagues in the past, such as the 2001 proposal for an ‘Atlantic League’ comprising teams from the top leagues in England, Italy, Germany and Spain - with Rangers and Celtic involved in later negotiations.

A similar idea was proposed in 2003 by representatives of the Dutch, Belgian, Danish and Scottish leagues, the North Atlantic League Cup, which would feature the top four clubs from each league in a round-robin tournament, followed by a knock-out stage - although teams competing in the Champions League or the then-named UEFA Cup would be exempt from the competition.