Status of UEFA Champions League bolstered by the make-up of its final four in 2010 tournament

The UEFA Champions League has emerged this millennium as the world's biggest annual sports tournament. The European club championship is already the most important annual event in soccer. Its final match is now the most-watched single-day sports event on the planet, steadily growing in recent years to finally surpass the Super Bowl in worldwide television audiences in 2009.

Yet the UEFA Champions League still has considerable upside and will continue to gain clout and worldwide appeal in this and the coming years.

First, it will grow a larger television footprint on the strength of a weekend date for the finale, which moves from its typical mid-week slot to this year's championship match on Saturday, May 22nd, in Madrid. The worldwide television audience will also get a boost as the title match jumps from cable to FOX in the United States.

Second, it will gain more traction -- especially outside of Europe -- this year as all things soccer benefit from the global spotlight created by the 2010 FIFA World Cup. European club stars are bound to play leading roles in the theatre to be staged June 11th-July 11th in South Africa and that will only increase the number of those following UEFA member clubs in 2011 and beyond.

Yet arguably the most important boost to the profile of the UEFA Champions League will come from the make up of its final four and, ultimately, its championship pairing next month.

After having clubs from the Barclays English Premier League dominate the later rounds of the Champions League in recent years -- including last year when three English clubs reached the semifinals before FC Barcelona upset Manchester United in the finale -- the final four of the 2010 tournament features clubs from four different European leagues (for the first time in six years).

Represented in the semi-final stage April 20-21 and April 27-28 are titleholder FC Barcelona of the Spanish Primera Liga, Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga, InterMilan of the Italian Serie A and Olympique Lyonnais of the French Ligue 1.

In a year in which CSKA Moscow and Russia were also represented in the quarter-finals, spanning Europe that way in the semifinals will only increase television, media, sponsor and fan interest throughout the continent. Moreover, around the world, it will create intrigue among millions of transplanted and second and third generation Spanish, German, Italian and French fans -- not to mention Brazilians, Argentinians and fans of the other internationals on those clubs.

That can only mean increased brand equity for UEFA and its Champions League competition this year and in the immediate future. It's a case of the popular gaining popularity and the strong getting even stronger.

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