Plans to change the UEFA Champions League system, increase the number of competition teams from 32 to 36, and replace the traditional group stage, face resistance over the distribution of the additional four seats.
The big clubs are pushing for these seats to be won by traditional powers, and for their part, smaller clubs and national associations want additional seats to be available.
According to the new system, it is expected that in 2024 these places will not be available for the teams participating in the preliminary rounds, but they will be distributed according to a method that has not yet been agreed upon.
The European League Competitions Union, which includes in its membership the local leagues on the continent, is holding an extraordinary meeting of its general assembly today, Friday, to discuss the plans, after fears that clubs and major league competitions will get the lion's share.
According to the version of the plans discussed by the European Union of Football Associations (UEFA), one of the additional seats will go to the French League, and the remaining places will be distributed according to the classification system followed by UEFA.
Sources say that this aspect worries the representatives of the small league competitions because it opens the door for the participation of more than 4 teams from the English Premier League, the Spanish League, the German Premier League and the Italian League, in the Champions League.
The UEFA European League Competitions Federation will present to 55 UEFA national federations next week, and the European Club Federation is also participating strongly in the talks.
According to the plan, the group stage system - which currently includes 8 groups of 4 teams, will be replaced, in which each club faces 3 competitors at home and outside it.
This system results in "zero-value matches" with the top teams guaranteeing qualification before one or two matches to come.
UEFA wants to replace this system with a league of one table, in which 36 clubs face 10 different competitors, and qualification is determined by one league table.
The matches are determined according to a ranking system in order to ensure that each club plays the same level of "hard and easy" matches.
In this plan, the top eight teams in the 36-club league will qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams occupying the positions from 9-16 will play a playoff match with the teams occupying the positions from 16-24 according to a classification system.
The introduction of the playoff system aims to keep interest in the games of the opening stage of the competition for as long as possible, but it may result in the qualification of a team occupying the 24th place from a group of 36 clubs.
The meeting is also expected to witness intense discussions about the way the revenues will be distributed from 2024.