Seven Spanish teams protest against plans to turn Europe’s elite competition into a closed shop

Seven Spanish teams have protested against a plan to transform the Champions League into a largely closed compe - t i t i o n , o p e n l y o p p o s i n g t h e Europ ean Club Asso ciation ahead of an emergency meetings in Malta.

A t l e t i c o M a d r i d a r e t h e leading club to complain to the ECA leadership about its vision for launching a “frontal attack” on the stabilit y of the European game in a letter obtained by t he Ass o ciated Press news agency.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, w h o s e o f f i c i a l s s i t o n t h e ECA executive board, are not among the signatories.

But Spain’s other seven members of the ECA have broken r a n k t o ex p r e s s c o n c e r n t o the organisation about a lack of consultation and openness about plans they say represent “the biggest threat in the histor y of European football in recent years”.

T h e E C A , wh i c h i s l e d b y Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, pictured, has pushed a vision presented by Uefa which calls for 24 out of 32 teams in the group stage to return the following season regardless of where they finish in their domestic leagues. That w o u l d i n v o l v e p r o - m o t i o n a n d r e l e g a - tion with the Europa League, which would have similar locked-in places and movement with a new third competition.

“T h e n e w E u r o p e a n C l u b Competitions model proposed b y Ue f a a n d t h e E x e c u t i ve B oard of the ECA represents a p otential great threat, not only to national leagues and the great majority of clubs, but for all European football, representing a frontal attack to the competitive balance and to the stability of d o m e s t i c c o m p e t i - t i o n s ,” At h l e t i c B i l - bao, Atletico Madrid, Malaga, S evil la, Real S o ciedad, Valencia and Vi l l a r r ea l wr o te to t h e E CA leadership.

“We sincerely believe that we are facing the biggest threat in the histor y of European football in recent years for clubs and national leagues.”

The status of competitions like the Spanish league could b e d i mi n i s h e d w i t h o u t t h e four Champions League spots to play for each season.

“We firmly believe that European competitions should be a reward for excellence,” the Spanish clubs wrote, “in which the best teams participate in a competition open to all, based on the principles of sporting merit, solidarity among clubs, fair distribution, etc.”

Currently, only the Europa League winners are promoted to the Champions League and the Champions League victors are ensured of a return the following season. “Access should always be achieved, with only the exceptions that apply in the current format, through domestic competitions,” the clubs wrote.

The seven teams threatened to end their membership of the ECA, which holds a spe - cial assembly in Malta today and tomorrow to discuss the competition format changes.