Andrea Agnelli is pushing ahead with his plans to turn the Champions League into an elite competition with qualification assured to 20 clubs regardless of how they far in their domestic leagues.
The Juventus chief has been at the forefront of reform plans for the 2024/25 season with broadcasting contracts soon to go out to tender.
Agnelli’s plan is to create four groups of eight giving clubs 14 Champions League matches before Christmas with the top five clubs in each group guaranteed a place in the competition the following season. Agnelli is the President of the European Clubs Association but has already had his plans overwhelmingly rejected by the European Leagues.
The proposals would have a devastating impact on domestic leagues with the European Leagues (which includes the SPFL and EPL) opposed to the moves that would weaken their own position while allowing clubs that struggle domestically to retain their Champions League place by finishing fith out of eight in a group.
Covering Agnelli’s comments at the Leaders Week conference in London the Standard reports:
If we are not progressive, we are simply protecting a system that is no longer there, a system that is made of domestic games that will have little interest for our kids,
We want to see more European matches with higher sporting quality. Much has been mentioned about wanting to kill domestic leagues, no… what is important is that this is never going to be a closed league because we the leaders in Europe do recognise the value of keeping the open system.
In 2012 Celtic required to get through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage, in 2017 that was increased to four qualifying rounds over eight consecutive midweeks in July and August.
CLICK HERE for statements from European Leagues members opposing the proposed changes.