Liverpool FC Forum

by **Raoul** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:38 am

England could lose Champions League spot

English clubs would face losing a Champions League spot if Michel Platini wins the race to become president of UEFA.

The three-times former European footballer of the year, who is challenging the present incumbent, Lennart Johansson, to become the next UEFA president, believes no country should have more than three representatives in Europe's premier club competition.

"Four clubs are too many," said Platini today at the launch of his media campaign to become the next leader of European football after years at the top table of both UEFA and FIFA.

"For everybody -- for the country itself, the fans and for the TV rights. Three should be the absolute limit.

"I am not so stupid as to want to change the current format but there are not enough national champions in the last 32 of the tournament and that cannot be right."

England, Spain and Italy all have four clubs in the Champions League under the current rules.

Platini, 51, who had a glittering playing career, is the only candidate who has so far come forward to oppose Johansson, the 76-year-old Swede who has held the post since 1990 and is bidding to stand for a fourth and final time when the election among UEFA's 52 national federations takes place in January.

Kicking off his campaign trail in London -- he will visit four other countries over the next fortnight -- Platini said he intends to become more of an executive president, with additional power to make crucial decisions, and that he already has considerable backing.

Taking a veiled swipe at Johansson's decision to run again, Platini said: "I like Lennart Johansson. He's a very courageous guy but those who are pushing him are not so courageous.

"He told me two years ago he was retiring yet he came back to fight against me. I don't know why. I believe many federations would like him to withdraw rather than see him lose because he's a decent man and that would be very sad."

Outlining his vision for the future of football, Platini said that freedom of movement had got out of hand and that UEFA was far too compliant with the European Union which, he said, was wielding too much power.

He said he would introduce a European football charter to stop the game's warring factions from squabbling and try to create fresh unity.

Platini also denounced the practise of young players being sold on for monstrously fat fees -- only then to be surplus to requirements.

"We have to fight for youth players," said Platini.

"If a club develops a player between the age of 12 and 18 and another club then buys him, he has to carry on playing. Players are developed to play, not to be sold."

Although regarded as being too much of a visionary by some of his critics, Platini has been personally responsible for several crucial innovations that are now part and parcel of the game, most importantly the backpass rule.

If elected UEFA president, he said he would try to introduce four linesmen in professional football to replace the present two.

"We have to help referees who can't see everything and I believe two more assistants on either side of the pitch would do this," he said. "It would help judging offside decisions as well as a range of off-the-ball incidents."

But he said he would never embrace video evidence -- apart from goal-line technology, that is.

"I am totally against refereeing by video,'' Platini said.

"Where would it stop? If you start with videos, you will finish with videos and there would be no more referees."

He also said he supported automatic relegation for clubs who are unable to pay their debts, no matter how powerful they are.

"It can't be right that some countries get relegated for being heavily in debt while others can go on and win the Champions League."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=386661&cc=3436

There is a lot of stuff in here that sounds like common sense to me. There have been a couple of other articles on Soccernet recently about the CL and UEFA Cup making similar points. Of course, from Liverpool's perspective, 4 is better than 3, and I guess if England has four places, there is more chance of teams outside of the big 4 to get into the comp - but then is that really what the Champions League should be about?

Anyway, I'm not European, so I'm interested in what you've got to say...

by **account deleted by request** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:55 am

If they were to change it to only three teams from the top countries qualify, it would be a huge loss of revenue to EUFA and also to clubs around Europe. The standard of the competition would not be raised by losing say Inter Milan from the CL and gaining a second team from Iceland. So I dont see the point, It should either be a League Champions only competition, or as it is now with the better leagues getting more places.

The more worrying aspect is the debts clubs are running up, and the huge gamble clubs including Liverpool are taking to qualify for the CL. This is not good for the game and restrictions should be placed on clubs to ensure they live within their means. This would have the added benefit of restricting teams like Chelsea and Barcelona from trying to "buy" the cup.

by **matrix** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 5:07 am

lets not go down that road... i really hope that doesn't happen because football will lose out, s@int, your right uefa would lose a lot of revenue so i really hope this wont happen, but if platini takes over can he make this decision on his own or will there be a vote with the powers to be at uefa...

by **Lando_Griffin** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 5:29 am

Trust a Frenchman to stick his oar in.

F*ck off Platini, you frog tw*t. Just because your country is too W*nk to have 4 places.

Sad b*stard. :angry:

by **Raoul** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 3:33 pm

Thanks Lando, that is the sort of Euro insight I was looking for!

by **coddy** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:09 pm

if anything i think everyone should lose a place or two, the competition is far too big and time consuming as it is......

by **Hebz** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:54 pm

I don't agree with the time consuming idea, this is like the ultimate cup to have in your trophy case, so therefore it's worth all the time and effort in the world.

For them to take away a spot from our league would be ridiculous, and they would only take it away from the EPL! Its discriminating towards us, and most of the football teams within the premiership spend the whole season just trying to get to the top four so that they can compete in the champions league.

This idea should be thrown out of the window, along with this Platini!

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