Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf, revealed that the possible return of Liga MX teams will depend on confederation-level negotiations
The President of Concacaf, Victor Montagliani, spoke in an exclusive interview with Fernando Palomo from ESPN about the possibilities of the Liga MX teams returning to the Copa Libertadores. The highest authority of the organization that governs football in the region clarified that the return of Mexican teams to the South American competition will depend on the confederations, not the leagues.
Montagliani stated that they are focused on increasing the level of the 'Concachampions' and emphasized that the participation of Mexican clubs in a Conmebol tournament will depend on negotiations between confederations.
"For me, when we talk about club competitions, I will not talk to the clubs. These are discussions at the confederation level. It is not correct for a club or a league to talk to a confederation, and we are focused on our Champions League," he said.
On the other hand, regarding the imminent merger between Liga MX and MLS, the President of Concacaf acknowledged that there are possibilities for both competitions to join forces and assured that this new league does not represent a threat to the interests of the region.
"The Champions League is the only competition that can qualify for the Club World Cup. For us, the merger is not a threat; it is a topic that will have a possibility in the future. We are already at the table talking to the leagues," he commented.
Regarding Tigres' debut in the Club World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ulsan Hyundai FC, Montagliani praised the level of the feline team and considered that Ricardo Ferretti's team has real chances of advancing to the Grand Final.
"I think they are in good form. Gignac is in great shape, and I think they will have a great match against Palmeiras. I believe they have a great chance of reaching the final," he said.
Finally, Victor Montagliani spoke about changes in the format of the Champions League and pointed out that the main objective behind the modification is to raise the level of clubs and national teams.
"For us, it is about footballing growth. We need to grow at the national team level and also at the club level. It means more matches for everyone, not only for Central America but also for the Caribbean and the North. It's about increasing the level," he stated.