Clubs to tackle elite over power grab in expanded Champions League plan

Hproposals criticised for only suiting those with global brand heuropean Leagues to call for reduction in group-stage games

Clubs across Europe are expected today to turn their fire on proposals drawn up by the Champions League elite to revolutionise the European game and hand more money and power to the established old guard.

Criticism is expected for the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester United that their expanded Champions League post2024 will disadvantage clubs outside the elite, who will be represented among the 300 attending the virtual summit of European Leagues (EL).

Many of these so-called smaller clubs are members of the European Club Association, which has negotiated the changes and owns 50 per cent of the company that operates Uefa competitions. They do not feel their voice is heard at the ECA.

Many of the smaller clubs have won European trophies in the past, but would struggle to qualify for the Champions League under the new format due to come into effect in 2024, even as champions of their domestic leagues. These clubs believe that the changes to the competition are being carried out only to benefit the 15 to 20 elite clubs who can claim to be global brands.

The EL, which represents domestic leagues across Uefa’s 55 member countries, will also call on Uefa and powerful clubs to reduce the number of Champions League groupstage games per club in the proposals post-2024, from 10 to eight.

English Football League chairman Rick Parry could raise the future of the League Cup under the new proposals. It is an important revenue earner for the EFL, but could be squeezed out by the expanded Champions League.

The EL also opposes the proposal that three of the four newly created Champions League group-stage places, in the post-2024 expansion from 32 clubs to 36, will be awarded on the basis of Uefa coefficient – historical performance. That is viewed as a qualification safety net for famous clubs from the Premier League or La Liga in Spain.

Lars-christer Olsson, president of EL and the Swedish Professional Football Leagues, will tell clubs the champions of mid-ranking Uefamember leagues such as the Scottish Premiership should qualify.

The attendance of Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis is indicative of how seriously the governing body is taking the resistance.

The EL will also discuss the likely effect of an expanded Champions League on broadcast revenues for domestic leagues. Those are likely to be cut to pay for the expanded Uefa rights packages, thus exacerbating the wealth gap between qualifiers and non-qualifiers.