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The Champions League group stage is a waste of time. Can UEFA’s new president fix it?

Just a few hours after European soccer’s governing body elected a new president, American television gave its verdict on UEFA’s prize property.

On Wednesday afternoon, Fox Sports, which holds U.S. broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League, chose to show amateur golf on its primary sports channel rather than any of the group stage games of the competition, including cup holder Real Madrid and its superstar Cristiano Ronaldo playing against his former club Sporting Lisbon.

Fox had contractual reasons for that choice — its deal for the U.S. Open involved a commitment to broadcast amateur golf events, including the U.