Europe's clubs, leagues set for Champions League revamp debate

With radical changes proposed to the Champions League, creating the possibility of a competition largely reserved for Europe's elite, domestic leagues and at least 150 clubs will gather for talks Tuesday in Madrid, ahead of a crucial meeting with UEFA 24 hours later.

European Leagues, the association of the continent's professional leagues, has invited some 900 clubs to the Spanish capital to discuss the future of European competitions and the threats posed by mooted reforms.

On Wednesday, UEFA's executive committee, chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, will meet with Europe's football leagues to hold talks over the controversial revamp plans that could take effect from 2024.

Tuesday's assembly should provide an opportunity for representatives from lesser leagues and smaller clubs to find common ground in their fight to stop UEFA instituting sweeping changes.

One of the topics of discussion in Madrid is titled "A de facto closed league for elite clubs", a feared outcome, according to reports, should the European Club Association, and its president Andrea Agnelli, succeed in overhauling the current Champions League format.

A new-look competition would reportedly feature four groups of eight teams in the pool phase, with the top six in each group qualifying for the following edition regardless of where they finish in their domestic competition.

- Outcry -
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"To experience that, for those who don't play in it regularly, or who play in it once in a lifetime, it's magnificent."
That drew a strong rebuke from European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson, who said they are "grown up enough to make their own judgments without getting 'orders' from the ECA president."