The FA Cup winners may be rewarded with a place in the
Champions League from 2009 under sweeping changes suggested for
Europe's elite club competition. The proposal, mooted at Uefa's
European Club forum, could see the winner of each country's main
knockout tournament included in a new end-of-season playoff system
or even granted an automatic Champions League berth.
"A number of clubs have expressed an interest in this situation,"
said William Gaillard, Uefa's communications director. "We are not
against it in principle and if this is the view of the majority
there is no reason why we shouldn't do it. The clubs that we have
heard from have responded quite favourably."
Gaillard said that although discussions had so far been informal,
interest had been strongest from "a very large German club, a
Spanish club and a very large Scottish club", believed to be Bayern
Munich, Barcelona and Rangers respectively. A Football Association
spokesman said the proposals would be considered by Soho Square but
any changes to the allocation of Champions League places would
depend on discussions with English football's relevant
stakeholders.
Uefa's proposal has been influenced by a belief that the top
domestic cup competitions are in need of rejuvenation and that
winning a trophy such as the FA Cup is a greater achievement than
finishing in the final Champions League position.
Gaillard confirmed that the idea would be put to Uefa's new
strategic committee in June, which in turn would make direct
recommendations to the executive committee. An official from the
Premier League was of the opinion that the proposal would attract
little interest from Premiership clubs, and the Football League was
unavailable to comment.
This month Michel Platini, who was elected Uefa president with a
pledge to reduce the maximum number of Champions League entrants
from a single country from four to three, suggested that the
fourth-placed teams in Europe's bigger leagues could perhaps face
one another in end-of-season play-offs and so free up places which
smaller countries would be able to take up.
Platini, meanwhile, expects to unveil plans to give supporters an
official say in running the European game by the end of this year.
He will hold meetings with supporters' clubs and associations with
a view to giving them a seat on the strategic board. "Platini is a
firm believer that there is no soccer without the fans," added
Gaillard. "We are the producers and they are our
consumers."
