Platini postpones Champions League decision

Dub13

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UEFA president Michel Platini has agreed to postpone by a month a decision on sweeping changes to the Champions League after opposition from leagues and clubs.

Platini today unveiled his plans to reserve four places in the group phase of Europe’s top club competition for domestic cup winners from 2009.

A final decision had been due to be taken by UEFA’s executive committee on September 27 but clubs’ and leagues’ representatives asked for more time to present other proposals.

Under Platini’s plan, England, Spain and Italy would have three teams qualifying automatically for the Champions League group stage via their domestic league and their cup winners entering a parallel qualifying competition.

Currently each have the top two teams going straight into the group stage and the next two going through a qualifying round.

Platini presented his proposals in Monaco today to the new Professional Football Strategy Council, made up of representatives of UEFA, the clubs, the leagues and players’ unions.

He told a media briefing afterwards: “We are not changing the format of the Champions League, there is no question of that.

“There are lots of advantages in the current system but under the new system six more countries will be represented in the Champions League and we will go from nine champions to 16.

“Those who win should play rather than those who are richer or have better media rights.

“It will also mean a very significant enhancement of the domestic cups.”

Platini admitted there had been some opposition to his plans but insisted he will stick to his guns.

He added: “We presented this to the strategy council and some members did not view the entrance of the cup winners very favourably.

“The leagues have asked for some time out and have asked whether it will be possible to delay by a month the decision of the executive committee.

“We have agreed to postpone the decision by a month and the leagues and the clubs will make their proposal. I will stick with mine and the executive committee will be able to make the best decision when it meets in November.”

Platini also outlined several other changes he would like to see made to the final of the Champions League from 2009.

He said: “I would like to see 75% of the stadium being reserved for fans.

“After the final in Athens I would like to see the Champions League final played at a weekend. I was very, very disappointed that there were no children in the stadium – on a Wednesday night families do not have the time and if it was on a Saturday then children and families could come.

“I also want the final in future to be in a big, modern stadium with a capacity of about 75,000 people. There is always vast demand for tickets, and people come without tickets and that creates a security problem.”

UEFA are also planning to revamp the UEFA Cup so that it mirrors the format of the Champions League more closely. Under the proposals, the Intertoto Cup would be scrapped.

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tldr, can someone do bullet points?

jobonar

sounds interesting. keep the competition fresh

leninbenjamin

all talk that fellah, i doubt he'll ever push the proposals through. mabe 2 spots at max.

The Rooster

Does anyone have a link to the actual proposals?

I wouldnt mind the FA Cup winners going into the Champions League - so long as, if one of the top 3 win the FA Cup, the final CL place goes to the 4th team in the league rather than the FA Cup runners-up.

Winning the FA Cup should be more valuable than coming 4th in the league. But losing it shouldnt be.

I would also give the 4 semi-finalists of the UEFA Cup a place in the CL qualifiers for the following year - maybe the winners automatically into the group stages. Would give that comp a lot more value. Mboro had an amazing run in the UEFA Cup, hardly anyone even noticed and they got virtually nothing out if it

Dub13

I think its all talk and he is backtracking from his original idea.How will certain things work like if Liverpool win the premiership this year and then beat say Millwall in the FA Cup final will Millwall be in the CL next year...?

5starpool

I am fairly sure that it goes to 4th place team if cup winner is a top 3 finisher already. I read that in the report where I originally heard about this.

Dub13

As somebody said on the radio last night,lest say you are trying to help the best Swedish team get into the CL surly you would be better off having the Swedes champions in rather than the Cup winners.

jank

Getting more teams into the CL is a good team no??
As he said just because you are rich big club doesnt give one an automatic right to CL every year, does it?

There are lots of advantages in the current system but under the new system six more countries will be represented in the Champions League and we will go from nine champions to 16.

Who could argue with that? Remember champions league!! Not big club with a rich owner league
Once these are planned out and all eventualities are covered then go for it!

Dub13

Yes but if UEFA push to far then G14 will start pushing for a breakaway competition,UEFA fear this more than anything.

Its all about money,would the Swedish champs Vs PSV bring in more cash for UEFA than a Liverpool/Arsenal Vs PSV game.

jank

Yea but if we have Arsenal v PSV every ****ing year people will lose interest.
Plus you want to grow football in these regions. If more countries are involved then that has to be good!

If there is a break away league then so be it! Dont think that will happen as UEFA wont sanction it unless they have a say how its run.

In the short term they may be worth more but in the long run arsenal or liverpool v psv for the 15th year in a row wont inspire much confidence in the fans... they will just switch off

5starpool

jank wrote:

If there is a break away league then so be it! Dont think that will happen as UEFA wont sanction it unless they have a say how its run.

You don't seem to get the concept of a breakaway league do you?

It would be a last resort I would say if this happened, and this issue os not enough to make it happen. If a breakawy did happen, then clubs would not be able to compete in domestic leagues, and players probably not for national teams. I am sure a compromise of sorts will be reached.

The Rooster

5starpool wrote:

You don't seem to get the concept of a breakaway league do you?

It would be a last resort I would say if this happened, and this issue os not enough to make it happen. If a breakawy did happen, then clubs would not be able to compete in domestic leagues, and players probably not for national teams. I am sure a compromise of sorts will be reached.

Do players have to be affiliated with FIFA/UEFA to play for a national side?

Lets say Shay Given remained injured, and Stan thought no other Irish keeper in the English and Irish leagues was up to it, but he thought that say the Kerry GAA or Louth GAA keeper was just brilliant - could he pick him to play for Ireland?

(I know its beyond far-fetched, but hypothetically....)

(and I'll thank for for ignoring bohsman's stupid and ignorant comment)

bohsman

Dont think the gaa would allow one of their players play a foreign sport.

leninbenjamin

The Rooster wrote:

Do players have to be affiliated with FIFA/UEFA to play for a national side?

Lets say Shay Given remained injured, and Stan thought no other Irish keeper in the English and Irish leagues was up to it, but he thought that say the Kerry GAA or Louth GAA keeper was just brilliant - could he pick him to play for Ireland?

(I know its beyond far-fetched, but hypothetically....)

no i dont think so. as long as they are eligible to play AFAIK the FAI can just show proof of this and play him (at least tha's what i gather from reading their statutes and crap). a similar situation is that of the Macedonia's? goalkeeper a few years back. i think he went a good few years without playing for a FIFA registered club, if that's what you mean.

yabadabado

he is spot on about the size of stadiums used should only be big modern stadia with the proper infastructure that are allowed to apply to host the final.i like his idea of 75% of the tickets goin to fans and i cudnt see any problem playing the final on a saturday either.but the rest of it i doubt will ever be pushed thru

Daysha

I like the idea of a weekend final too. It'd really make the final stand out, set it apart from the rest of the tournament. Should stay as a night match though.

Dub13

deise59 wrote:

I like the idea of a weekend final too. It'd really make the final stand out.

Its not his own idea, but the idea of tens of thousands of football fans who took part in a uefa survey 2 years ago.

I don't think a break away league would happen over this but it could well be used as a bit of serious jostling.I would personally love to see an open draw taken place but its just not going to happen as the group stage brings in a lot of cash.

rahim

jank wrote:

Yea but if we have Arsenal v PSV every ****ing year people will lose interest..............................................In the short term they may be worth more but in the long run arsenal or liverpool v psv for the 15th year in a row wont inspire much confidence in the fans... they will just switch off

I don't know, I think we have this situation already and people don't seem to be losing interest at all. I watch Liverpool play Arsenal/Man U/Chelsea/Spurs etc, etc, etc twice every year (at least). I've also seen Liverpool play AC Milan two years out of the last three in the Champions League final.
I would like to see more countries represented and more (different) teams feature in the Champions league but the fact is that the big teams want to play the other big teams because it's worth more money to them now and they're run as businesses so this is what really matters to them.