Champions League may be held on a Saturday

LONDON: English clubs are set to fight UEFA plans to play Champions League games on a Saturday.

Following the high- profile revamp of the competition – which guarantees teams from England, Germany, Italy and Spain four spots each year – there is a fear that traditional domestic football could be at risk.

And English Premier League clubs are worried that the next step will be Saturday games – to maximise TV audiences.

UEFA moved the final to a Saturday night in 2010 and the next step following the revamp could be for knockout games to follow suit.

But there is expected to be a lot of opposition to any such plans – especially if they disrupt the domestic calendar at the business end of the season. A Premier League source told the Daily Mail: “This is a red-line issue that we wouldn’t even contemplate.” Whereas Scottish chief Neil Doncaster called it “the direction of travel” for the future 2021-2024 negotiations, which suggests Premier League opposition could be in vain.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all reportedly in favour of such changes.

But there is a fear that a closed shop Champions League could spell the end of fairytales like Leicester, who have enjoyed two wins since their debut match in the competition.

The new revamp also includes greater prize money for clubs who have won the competition before.

Games begin again after the international break, with Manchester City travelling to face Barcelona and Arsenal hosting Ludogorets. — The Sun, London