As the January transfer window closes, AC Milan and Juventus are grappling with crucial decisions regarding their UEFA Champions League squad lists. The UEFA regulations, which lean towards conservatism, allow for modifications but not complete overhauls of team rosters. This constraint particularly affects Milan, who were notably active in the winter market.
The crux of the matter lies in UEFA’s Article 32, which stipulates that clubs advancing in the Champions League can only register a maximum of three new players to their List A – the 25-player roster for each team. These registrations must be completed by February 6, 2025, at 24:00 CET.
For Milan, this rule presents a significant challenge. The club is likely to prioritize the inclusion of Kyle Walker, Santiago Gimenez, and Joao Felix in their Champions League squad. Consequently, promising youngsters Warren Bondo and Alex Jimenez are expected to miss out on European action. Jimenez, born in 2005, doesn’t meet the criteria for List B, which is reserved for club-trained youth players.
To accommodate these changes, Milan will need to remove four players from their existing list: Davide Calabria, Ismael Bennacer, Alvaro Morata, and Noah Okafor. This adjustment leaves coach Conceiçao with one fewer player at his disposal for the Champions League campaign.
Juventus faces a similar predicament. The Turin giants are poised to add Kolo Muani, Renato Veiga, and Lloyd Kelly to their European squad. This decision likely means Alberto Costa will be left out of List A. The departures of Arthur and Danilo, along with Bremer’s season-ending injury, create the necessary space for these new additions.
Fiorentina, another Italian club in European competition, must also make tough choices. Having acquired Folorunsho, Pablo Marì, Ndour, and Zaniolo in recent weeks, they’ll likely have to exclude Ndour from their European squad. However, due to numerous player departures, freeing up three spots shouldn’t pose a significant challenge for the Viola.
Other Italian clubs in European competitions, such as Inter, Atalanta, Lazio, and Roma, face fewer complications as they’ve made fewer than three signings during the transfer window.
It’s worth noting that the rules for Serie A differ significantly from UEFA competitions. In the Italian league, clubs have until midnight on the final day of the transfer window to freely modify their 25-player list submitted to the league. Even after the window closes, two changes are permitted. Additionally, players born after January 1, 2002, like Warren Bondo, can be registered on a separate list without impacting the main 25-player roster.
