The major European leagues will hold an online meeting on Friday to discuss UEFA’s plans to change the shape of the Champions League, with a major redesign of the group’s platform on the agenda.
UEFA has been consulting with clubs and leagues on how they can bring the group level to life and switching to a new format with more games is the preferred choice of a European soccer governing body.
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The talks have focused on eliminating the roundabout, where there are currently eight groups of four clubs with each team playing three enemies at home and away.
That format often leads to games with the top teams getting certified with one or two more games.
UEFA is considering putting in place a format in which the 32 clubs would play 10 different opponents and a certificate would come from one league table.
That would allow for more games and – UEFA hopes – more games that matter, generating higher revenue and more fan interest.
The plan, dubbed the “Swiss model”, did not meet any opposition and received support from European Club Association leader Andrea Agnelli, president of Juventus, although he indicated that it could push for wider expansion.
“I think it’s a good system because it’s scalable. The number of games you play in the early stages can be an indefinite number of games,” he said last week. .
The leagues want to ensure that any expansion in European club tournaments does not go beyond domestic football and they have been clear that they will not accept Champions League weekend matches.
The European League also wants to see an increase in “loyalty payments” from European competition revenues to domestic football and a commitment to continue certification to domestic league-based competitions.
While there appears to be broad consensus on changes in the format of the competition, UEFA is likely to counter some difficult discussions about the method of distributing funds from their competitions, sources say.