Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid lifts the Champions League trophy.PHOTO/Reuters.
PARIS, France, Aug 17- UEFA is considering changing the format of the Champions League so that the top four teams from the top four European leagues would qualify automatically for the competition.
If the changes are approved, the top four teams from England, Germany, Spain and Italy would qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
UEFA’s club competition committee is considering a variety of options to revamp the competition in order to ward off the threat of a breakaway Super League by some of Europe’s leading clubs.
Allowing four clubs from the four leading leagues to qualify automatically for the Champions League is just one of the options which is being discussed.
Changes are likely to be introduced for the next three-year cycle of European club competitions from 2018-2021.
Many clubs have expressed concerns – primarily through the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) – about the qualifying criteria and format of UEFA club competitions.
This season leading clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and AC Milan are missing out on the revenue generated by playing in the Champions League.
UEFA has held several meetings with key stakeholders over the past few months to discuss the future of its club competitions and listen to the feedback of all of those involved.
The feedback from the consultations, together with proposals for a way forward, will be submitted to the clubs before the ECA general assembly in Geneva on 5-6 September.
The proposals will then be discussed at an Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens on September 14-15, where a new UEFA president will be elected to replace Michel Platini.
