English clubs will dominate the pot of top seeds in today's
Champions League draw but before the names are drawn out of the hat
UEFA are due to announce sweeping changes to the format of the
competition. All four English representatives - Manchester United,
Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - are set to be among the eight
top-seeded clubs which means they will avoid holders AC Milan,
Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona in the group stage of
Europe's elite club competition.
But UEFA president Michel Platini is expected to confirm tomorrow
the details of his plans to open up the Champions League to wider
competition, specifically by giving domestic cup winners an
opportunity to make it into the 32-team group phase.
It is understood that his plans would have 16 cup winners from
Europe's leading countries in a qualifying competition for four
places in the group stage of the Champions League. This qualifying
event would be run in parallel to a qualifying competition based on
domestic league positions for 12 other places, to join the 16 teams
who qualify automatically.
Platini will unveil his proposals to the new Professional Football
Strategy Council in Monaco tomorrow. The body is made up of
representatives from UEFA, the European leagues, the clubs and the
players' unions but is a consultative body so even if - as is
likely - there is some fierce opposition from the leagues, they
cannot veto the plans.
The ideas will then go forward to UEFA's executive committee
meeting in Istanbul on September 27 for a decision. Under the
proposals, if as happened in England last season when Chelsea were
FA Cup winners and had already qualified automatically then the
fourth-placed side - in this case Arsenal - would have to try to
qualify through the 'cup route'.
Platini is aware that there is going to be substantial opposition
to change but believes his plans are a compromise - the big
countries of England, Spain and Italy would keep four qualifying
spots but there would be a broader spectrum of clubs both from
inside those countries and in the smaller countries of Europe
represented in the competition.
Platini's proposals would also see changes in Scotland with the
champions and cup winners given qualifying places rather than the
top two in the league.
