Víctor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, revealed that the possible return of the MX League teams will depend on negotiations at the confederation level
The president of CONCACAF Victor Montagliani spoke in an exclusive interview with Fernando Colom of ESPN on the chances of MX League clubs returning to the Copa Libertadores. The head of the body that governs football in the region clarified that the return of Mexican teams to South American competition went through the confederations and not the leagues.
Montagliani stated that they are focused on increasing the level of the ‘Concachampions’ and stressed that the participation of Aztec clubs in a CONMEBOL tournament will depend on negotiations between confederations.
“For me when it comes to club competitions, I’m not going to talk to clubs, they are discussions at the confederation level. For a club or a league to talk to a confederation, for me it’s not right and we are focused on the our Champions League, “he said.
On the other hand, with regard to the imminent merger between the MX League and the MLS, the president of CONCACAF acknowledged that there are possibilities for the two competencies to come together and assured that this new league does not represent a threat to the interests of the region.
“The Champions League is the only competition you can qualify for in the Club World Cup. For us it is not a threat (merger), it is an issue that will have a chance in the future, we are already at the table talking to the leagues, “he said.
Regarding the Tigers’ debut in the Club World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ulsan Hyundai FC, Montagliani praised the level of the feline team and has considered that those led by Ricardo Ferretti have a real chance of advancing to the Grand Final.
“I think they are in good shape. Gignac is at a great level and I think they are going to have a great game against Palmeiras. I think they have a great chance of advancing to the Final,” he indicated.
Finally, Victor Montagliani spoke about the changes in the format of the Champions League and noted that the main goal behind the change is to raise the level of clubs and teams.
“For us it’s to grow at the football level. We need to grow at the national team level and also at the club level. They are more games for everyone not only for Central America but also for the Caribbean and the North, it’s to increase the level,” he said. .