UEFA Champions League: Should Foreign Clubs Be Invited?

Inter Milan versus Panathinaikos 2-0, goals from Brazilians Mancini and Adriano with countless Brazilians playing for both sides alongside Argentinians, Africans and the odd Greek or Italian.

Europe's clubs have been overrun by foreigners. Every club, be it the proud Inter or the tiny Panathinaikos, has stocked up on players from the world over, especially Brazil. Brazil currently exports 1000 players a year (officially).

It all seems to have gone over well with the fans as they get a chance to watch quality football from around the world in one competition.

In between the foreigners, hysteria, media hype and beer sales, European fans ultimately get carried away and openly declare that the Champions League is the best in the world and it's champion the best club in the world.

These declaration may even be true—on paper anyway. It is quite logical to think that if you spend millions and buy "the best" players then logically you must have the best clubs —but since when has football been about logic?

Part of what makes the beautiful game so beautiful is its unpredictability. Football has never been a sport you could work out on paper. In the last Copa America, Brazil lost 2-0 to lowly ranked Mexico and then went on to beat the best team on the planet, Argentina, with Messi, 3-0.

As I mention Mexico and Copa America, we finally come to the point of this article. The point is Mexico is a North American team which was invited to take part in Copa America which is a South American competition. The United States were also invited.

Copa America is the oldest international football tournament in the world dating back to 1916. Since 1993 the practice of inviting champions of other federations began and the United States, Canada and even Japan, amongst others, have all been invited.

This new innovation means that theoretically Japan had a shot at being South America's champion in 1999. Mexico actually made it to the finals in 1993 and 2001 almost taking the cup out of South America.

So the idea of inviting foreign teams is not new or unusual.

The Champions League is already overrun by Brazilians and Argentinians—so I ask the question, why not invite an entire Brazilian or Argentinian club or two to take part every year?

If the millionaire clubs are so mighty, then a couple of little Libertadores clubs taking part should not worry the sponsors.

If the fans love watching foreign players all on one stage then—why just invite players? Why not entire clubs?

European fans could then have the undeniable right to declare that their club was the best in the world—or come to grips with another unthinkable reality.