UEFA delays decision on major Champions League revamp which would see likes of Liverpool qualify even if they miss out on top four

UEFA has delayed giving the green light to a new and expanded Champions League format, which would feature a ten-game first phase from 2024.

The proposal, which includes scrapping the current group stage format, has been under discussion for almost two years and was set to be signed off at the executive committee meeting of European football’s governing body on Wednesday.

However, a decision has now been pushed back to April 19 amid last-minute opposition to the planned changes.

The governing body said in a statement: “Following various media enquiries over the last few days, UEFA can confirm that a meeting of the Executive Committee will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 31, and that the future of club competitions post-2024 will be one of the topics discussed.

“However, any official decision in this respect will only be made at the next UEFA Executive Committee meeting on April 19, in order to finalise ongoing discussions.”

Under the proposed revamp, the number of qualifiers would be expanded from 32 to 36.

Each team would play ten games on a seeded basis against opposition of varying strength under the so-called ‘Swiss model’.

The results would form a league table and the top eight advance to the knockout stage, while the teams who finish ninth to 24th go into a play-off round.

Of the four new qualifying places created, two ‘wild cards’ will be reserved for clubs with the highest UEFA co-efficient – points based on past European success – who have not qualified for the competition through their league position.

This effectively creates a ‘safety net’ for Europe’s heavyweight clubs in the event of a poor season, and is understood to be a major concern for the Premier League who fear it will lead to teams ‘leapfrogging’ higher-placed sides into a more lucrative European competition.

If that format was being used now, Liverpool would still gain a Champions League spot despite being seventh in the Premier League, based on the current table as it stands.

It would be good news, then, for the elite clubs and past European champions, but UEFA have been warned the move ‘values history over sporting merit’ and risks ‘losing whole generations’ of supporters.

These reform plans would represent the biggest changes to the Champions League in decades, with the new format taking the number of matches from 125 to an incredible 225 from the 2024-25 season onwards.

But the news didn’t go down well on talkSPORT on Tuesday afternoon, as host Jim White blasted UEFA for their ‘arrogance’ in favouring history over achievement.

And outspoken pundit Simon Jordan accused UEFA of being purely motivated by finances for wanting the elite teams in the Champions League every regardless of their performances.

talkSPORT host White said: “The arrogance of it!

“There will be Premier League clubs who are falling short domestically, how can seventh place Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Wolves, whoever take precedence over the champions of Scotland in Rangers, or Celtic?

“How can we have a situation like that? The Scottish champions still have to go through a qualification process, whereas a club with a history would take precedent?

“Is that fair? How is that fair?”

“It isn’t fair,” replied former Crystal Palace owner Jordan.

“For UEFA, it’s ker-ching. This is about money.

“The brand of Arsenal, for example, has more value for broadcasters to certain extent to the Rangers and Celtics of this world.

“Don’t ask me why, but they do.”

Leagues and associations from across the continent have also expressed concerns about the logistics of accommodating those extra games, and Football Supporters’ Europe (FSE) has pointed out that they come at a time when football fans’ finances are squeezed by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“In the current financial climate, it’s going to be difficult for people to afford more and more games,” its executive director Ronan Evain told German broadcaster DW.

“We’ll potentially lose whole generations.

“It opens the door for something a lot more dangerous – qualification based on history rather than sporting merit.”

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