UEFA unveils 3rd club competition named Europa Conference League

UEFA announced Tuesday the establishment of the UEFA Europa Conference League, a club competition that's set to kick off in two years.

"The new competition will start in 2021 and is aimed at giving more clubs in more countries a chance to participate in European football," UEFA's announcement read.

The decision to add an extra continental competition - alongside the Champions League and the Europa League - in a similar vein to the former Intertoto Cup, which was last played in 2008, was one of several announcements made by UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

During this season's Europa League, video assistant referee (VAR) will be introduced at the onset of the knockout stages. The technology is already employed in each of Europe's top five leagues and elsewhere.

UEFA also announced changes to the concussion protocol that will be further discussed at the next International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting.

Meanwhile, the governing body disclosed a plan to recommend that its 55 member nations and all European clubs not play competitive or friendly matches in countries that completely or partially restrict entry to women.

Also of note, UEFA announced the venues for the next three Champions League finals, the 2021 Europa League final, and the 2021 SuperCup. St. Petersburg, Russia, will host the 2021 Champions League showpiece, with Munich, Germany, and London's Wembley Stadium following suit. The 2021 Europa League final will be held at Sevilla's Sanchez Pizjuan, while Belfast, Northern Ireland, will play host to the 2021 UEFA SuperCup.