Big change in store for SAFF C’ship?
After a proposal from a potential marketing agent, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is mulling the introduction of a new format for the SAFF Championship from 2021 which could see an end to the practice of staging the regional football extravaganza at a single venue.
Bangladesh are scheduled to host the 13th edition of the SAFF Championship in September 2020 with an existing tournament format that will divide the seven participating teams into two groups, with the top two teams from each group to advance to the semifinals. The 2020 tournament may be the last to be held with the format.
According to the new format, the seven teams will play each other in a round-robin league and each team will be allowed to host three teams at home and play three matches away. Finally, the side with the most points will emerge the regional champions.
SAFF had a marketing contract with Lagardere Sports and Entertainment which expired in 2018, and the body is looking for a new marketing agent, one of whom have come up with the proposal.
“We have discussed this issue at the SAFF meeting in Kuala Lumpur and all members appreciated this format as each of them will get the opportunity to play more matches than the existing format,” said SAFF general secretary Anwarul Haque Helal yesterday.
“Each team will play six matches -- three at home and three away. The home and away matches will be decided through a draw,” said Helal. “The potential marketing agent will place their final proposal within the next week and then SAFF will sit again to discuss it at an emergency meeting.”
Helal however said that finding a slot for the SAFF Championship may be a problem and that the new format will allow the championship to be completed in a five- or six-week period in September.
“If the new format is introduced, then there will be no issue of finding the host nation and a slot that suits everyone as every country will be involved in hosting the championship,” added Helal.
The new format of the SAFF Championship, if adopted, is perhaps going to be a unique one as unlike, say, the Champions League, not every match will be played on a home and away basis. It also remains to be seen whether the regional football championship will lose its excitement as playing in one venue over a short period of time created and sustained the buzz among the spectators, which may not be the case in a protracted format.
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