UEFA President Lennart Johansson is facing competition for his post from former France and Juventus great Michel Platini, and one of the key battlegrounds in their fight for the presidency is over the future format of the UEFA Champions League, the organization’s most lucrative competition. Johansson oversaw the replacement of the old European Cup with the Champions League in 1992, and while he admits there are problems with the competition, he maintains that it’s been a resounding success overall, grossing $6.3 billion since its inception, and distributing over $811 million to national associations and leagues in Europe. Platini, on the other hand, believes the competition needs to be opened up to give more European clubs a chance, as the monies earned only seem to fortify the strongest clubs in each league, which means the same ones appear year in year out. Platini suggested that a redistribution of wealth might be more beneficial to all, “not just the top three or four clubs.” The Frenchman also said he favors reducing the number of clubs that qualify from England, Spain and Italy, Europe’s three biggest leagues, from four to three, and that he would like to see places freed up for the champions of some of Europe’s second-tier leagues. Many of these clubs currently have to face an extra two-leg playoff in order to gain entrance to the competition. “It is up to us today to consolidate the Champions League in the face of the threat to its future posed by the prospect of a European super-league modeled on the American NBA,” Platini said recently. The UEFA Presidential election will take place on January 27.