During a UEFA meeting of Europe’s top clubs, Manchester United chief David Gill and Liverpool’s Rick Parry called on UEFA President Michel Platini to abandon his plans to grant a Champions League berth to the winner of the domestic cup competition in Europe’s bigger leagues. Given the TV cash haul guaranteed to qualifying clubs, it’s unsurprising that the likes of England’s big four (which repeatedly qualify year after year) oppose the idea, which calls for the third- and, in some cases, fourth-place teams to give up their Champions League berth. French and Spanish teams responded with a proposal that each country decide how to allocate the last Champions League place.
Which the Telegraph points out is effectively the same thing as leaving the system as it is. Why? Because in England the FA would come under tremendous pressure from the likes of Liverpool and United to leave it alone. Platini wants to see the winners of Europe’s 16 biggest domestic cup competitions enter a separate Champions League qualifying tournament, competing for four places in the group stage. Almost every big club in Europe was opposed to the idea.
Another proposal floated around Tuesday was to expand the number of teams in the group stage from 32 to 36, which would allow more Champions League places for smaller countries. UEFA worries that a bigger group stage would make the tournament even harder to schedule; it will make its decision in November.