The European Leagues have told UEFA to scrap their Champions League reforms and go back to the drawing board.
Representing 35 leagues across 28 countries the European Leagues, include the SPFL as well as the leagues of Spane, Holland, Italy and France, have called out UEFA following an executive meeting today in Warsaw.
It seems that the richest clubs in Europe have used the ECA (European Club Association) to drive through changes which is seeing a smaller group of countries and clubs hoover up the bulk of the money coming in from the Champions League.
After securing four group stage places for clubs from the top four leagues the latest plan seems to be to create four groups of eight featuring 14 group stage matches with the top five in each group assured of a place the following season regardless of their domestic performance.
That initiative would marginalise domestic leagues and wipe out eight midweeks for domestic matches to be televised forcing the European Leagues into action.
From Warsaw today the European Leagues stated:
Following last week’s Club Advisory Meeting in Madrid with over 240 European clubs and the meeting between the UEFA Executive Committee and the European Leagues Board of Directors in Nyon, the European Leagues retain the strong opinion that the presented proposal for reforming the European Club Competitions benefits just a few rich and dominant clubs but damages the leagues and the great majority of clubs playing in the domestic competitions.
The European Leagues are working on changes which contribute to the long-term sporting and financial sustainability of both European and domestic club competitions.
In this, the Leagues believe that it is imperative for UEFA to start building the changes in the UEFA club competitions project from scratch. In this respect, UEFA must come to an agreement with the European Leagues and the other stakeholders to safeguard the interests of all professional football clubs in Europe.
The European Leagues together with the National Associations are responsible for the development of professional football in their own countries and must work together in this respect.
The success of Ajax this season has been a timely reminder to UEFA that given a level playing field clubs from outwith the top four leagues are capable of succeeding with the Dutch side knocking Juventus and Real Madrid out of the Champions League.
To reach the group stage next season Celtic will need to go through four qualifying rounds on consecutive midweeks starting from July 9/10.
