New Uefa president Michel Platini is determined to push ahead
with his controversial changes for the UEFA Champions League.
The former Juventus and France star succeeded the incumbent Lennart
Johansson after winning election to the post at Uefa's Congress in
Dusseldorf, Germany on Friday.
Platini campaigned on the promise to amend the limit of Champions
League places for each member country to three clubs each.
The proposals are expected to meet stiff resistance from the likes
of the Football Association and the Premier League in England, who
are sure to be keen to have the status quo of four places available
for their top clubs.
Platini, however, is keen to move forward with his ideas, despite
the opposition he is likely to face.
"The new format of the Champions League is for 2009," Platini
said.
"I talked about finding a better equilibrium for the number of
clubs and that's for (season) 2009/10.
"The final decision will be (by Uefa's executive committee) in
April, so we have a few months still to see which way we will go,
but I would like a better equilibrium, it is very close to my
heart."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger thinks Platini will struggle to fulfil
his task of making changes to the current Champions League
format.
"I am scared that he based his programme on something which he will
not be able to deliver - because he cannot decide that, that has to
be voted," Wenger said.
"What will happen when they [the smaller teams] go one round
further and go out early in a group stage? The competition will
lose interest, that is all that will happen.
"It is not because we have one more team from Serbia instead of
having one from England that the turnout is a bit better.
"I believe that the competition should be organised with the best
teams playing each other.
"What people want to see is the best teams on television, to see
Real Madrid against Arsenal, or Milan against Bayern Munich, that
will not change."
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson echoed the sentiments of
his Gunners counterpart.
"The only way you could get rid of the fourth team is by reducing
the competition or bringing in more teams from other countries,"
said Ferguson, who reacted with surprise when reporters told him of
Platini's election at Friday's United press conference.
"The way it is at the moment, with the top countries entering their
top teams, you get some fantastic games.
"It is a fantastic tournament and you are playing all the best
teams. I don't think a lot needs to be done to it."