Champions League Revamp
30th November, 2007
UEFA is set to announce on Friday a revamp to the rules for qualification for the Champions League. From 2009, the top three clubs in the Premier League will qualify for the group stages.
Under the new plans, the team who finish fourth in the top English League will go straight into a play-off against a team in a similar position from another of Europe’s leagues. Thanks to the proposals, the Scottish League champions will also go straight into the Champions League group stages, with the runner-up facing two qualifying rounds.
Currently, the top two sides in the Premier League qualify by right, with the next two teams joining in at the third qualification round. It is likely that after the rule changes, the fourth-placed team will face much tougher opponents than they might do had they gone through the ‘old style’ qualification stages.
