ENGLAND COULD LOSE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLACE

ENGLISH clubs could be stripped of one of their four Champions League qualifying places and more than £25million income from the competition. Proposals from the European Leagues Association would see all the top leagues limited to three automatic qualifiers from 2021. They also want UEFA to abolish payments based on clubs’ historical success. The ELA, which represents 36 leagues and more than 950 clubs, want a system based purely on current performance. Almost a third of UEFA’s £1.75bn prize fund for this season is based on clubs’ co-efficient ranking from the last 10 years, in which Chelsea are ranked fifth and European champions Liverpool 10th. The Premier League have had four automatic CL spots since 2018, but under the proposals, which need to be ratified by UEFA, from 2021 the fourth-placed finisher would face a two-legged play-off to reach the CL group stage.