Plans to radically reform the UEFA Champions League are set to be confirmed in April, despite a delay caused by certain leading European clubs looking for more say over commercial rights.
The ECA, whose chairman is Andrea Agnelli, also the chairman of Juventus, said it"unanimously agreed that it was not yet in a position to formally endorse key changes... for the period post-2024 in isolation". However, plans for what the reformed version of European football's elite club competition -- supposed to stave off the threat of a breakaway Super League -- will look like are already an open secret.The changes are essentially all about creating a new format for the group stage, replacing the existing structure in place since 2003.
It is understood the plans will see the number of teams in the group stage increase to 36, with discussions ongoing about who the additional berths will go to.British newspaper The Times reported that two extra spots will go to the clubs with the best coefficient who fail to qualify via domestic competitions but have qualified for the second-tier Europa League.