Tomorrow starts FIFA’s Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. By qualifying directly to the semi-finals, both Estudiantes La Plata and Barça look like the big favourites to make it to the final. Estudiantes won the then called Intercontinental Cup in 1968 against Man United with a 1 – 0 win in Buenos Aites followed by a 1 – 1 tie in a memorably violent return game at Old Trafford. As for Barça, this is the only major trophy they have never won, loosing to Sao Paolo FC in 1992 and to Internacional Porto Alegre in 2006.
I don’t like the current set-up where all regional champions are invited to the tournament but where the European and South American champions get a break by going directly to the semi-finals. In my opinion, either you give each club the same treatment or you change the formula all together. I’m still in favour of the original recipe where it was a home and away game between the European and South American champions. That created huge passion, notably on the South American continent where the Intercontinental Cup has always been seen as a major trophy. South American teams have won the different versions of the Cup (Intercontinental, Toyota and now Club World) 25 times against 23 for Europe.