
Champions League reform a blow for fourth English club
By Martyn Ziegler
Published: 30 November 2007
The European game's governing body, Uefa, is expected to announce today that three Premier League clubs will qualify automatically for the Champions League group phase from 2009.
The fourth-placed Premier League team, however, are likely to face a much tougher task in reaching the group stage as they will have to play a qualifying round against another side from one of the leading leagues in Europe. Previously, the fourth-placed teams from England, Spain and Italy were almost assured of a place among the 32 Champions League clubs by being seeded against a side from a weaker European country in the final qualifying round.
Scotland's champions will also qualify automatically under the changes being put forward by the Uefa president, Michel Platini, with the Scottish runners-up likely to face two qualifying rounds. The final decision will be taken by Uefa's executive committee meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland, today and will also see six group-stage spots reserved for the champions of the 40 lowest-ranked countries among Uefa's 53 members.
Three separate proposals are being put forward but their main difference is in the qualifying routes for the champions from the smaller countries. Platini wants more club champions, and more inclusion from the smaller countries.
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