Huge changes are set be made to the way the Champions League is formed from 2024 onwards.
Last year, at a similar time to when the European Super League fiasco was announced, UEFA unveiled plans for the Champions League to be made up of 36 clubs from the 2024/25 season onwards. Currently, 32 teams make up the competition and it is a format that has worked so well for numerous years.
However, the changes are expected to be ratified at a UEFA Executive Committee meeting in just a few weeks' time on May 10. Should they get the seal of approval they are expected to, the number of group stage matches in the competition for each club will increase from six to ten.
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As well as that, the changes will mean that two qualification spots will be reserved for clubs to feature in the competition based on their historic European performance, opposed to qualifying as a result of their domestic achievements. For example, an English club, such as Liverpool, may be granted entry to the competition even if they fail to finish inside the Premier League's top-four.
The impending changes have been heavily criticised by a large number of football supporters across the continent and a Premier League supporters' group has accused UEFA of attempting to return to the "discredited idea of a European Super League," which famously collapsed in a matter of hours 12 months ago.
A statement released by the FSA Premier League Network said: "We are united in opposition to proposals to reform the Champions League that are a back door attempt at a return to the discredited idea of a European Super League. Last year, it was our supporter groups that united to force the collapse of the European Super League.
"At the time, UEFA told us that fans were the heart of the game and promised fans' views would be centre stage in deciding what came next.
"So it is with great dismay that we now face the prospect of changes to the Champions League that will mean many more group games being played and entry for some clubs being based on a historical five-year 'Uefa club co-efficient'. These proposals will only widen the gap between rich clubs and the rest, at the same time wrecking domestic league calendars, with the expectation that fans sacrifice yet more time and money attending meaningless group games."
Should the proposed changes get the seal of approval next month, the Champions League will see 36 clubs qualify for an expanded first phase, where every club will play against ten opponents of different strengths. It means that a league table will be formed, with the top eight clubs automatically progressing to the first knockout round and the next 16 clubs entering a play-off round to determine which other eight clubs will make up the last-16.
Whilst the new format has attracted criticism from fans, Premier League clubs fear it is 'introducing a form European Super League by the back door'. The Premier League's 'Big Six' - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, City and United - were all involved in the Super League plan a year ago and they could all qualify if they finish in the Premier League's top six places.
Therefore, under the plan to generate two wildcard places for clubs based off past achievements in the Champions League, a club will be allowed to qualify for the competition without achieving domestic success. In a hypothetical scenario, United could finish sixth in the Premier League table but still qualify for the following season's Champions League because of their past triumphs in the competition.
They have won the Champions League twice (previous triumph was the European Cup in 1968), meaning their past successes could secure them a place. They currently rank ninth on UEFA's ten-year club co-efficient.
However, according to Sky Sports, all 20 Premier League clubs unanimously asked league officials last year to reject UEFA's proposal for wildcard places that might lead to 'leap-frogging' and the inevitable sporting integrity issues. For example, West Ham United could finish fifth, securing a Europa League spot, but United or City could finish sixth and still qualify for the Champions League because of their co-efficient ratings.
That, therefore, means that the 'Big Six' could all qualify for the Champions League each season, so long as they finish in the Premier League's top-six places. The sixth-placed team will qualify so long as the fifth-placed team does, and so long as their co-efficient is among the top-two from all of England, Germany, Italy and Spain.
There are no plans to change the four slots assigned to Premier League clubs. That means the top-four will all automatically qualify.
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