Champions League expansion proposals to be decided this week

The future of the Champions League is set to be decided in a series of crucial meetings this week.

The executive board of the European Club Association is meeting in Madrid today to decide whether to continue to support controversial proposals to allow two clubs the safety net of qualifying for the Champions League based on their historic performance in Europe.

The Champions League is expected to expand from 32 to 36 teams from 2024 which has led to heated debates about how the extra four places should be awarded and how many group games each team should play.

As well as the ECA meeting on Monday, UEFA's executive committee and its club competitions committee are meeting on Tuesday and, the following day, Vienna is hosting UEFA's Congress.

The so-called new "Swiss model" format of the Champions League will have 36 teams in a single league playing eight or 10 matches against opponents based on seeding. The top 16 teams will go through to the knockout stage. The new format is designed to generate more revenue for clubs and appeal more to fans and broadcasters.

Many clubs in Europe fear that UEFA club competitions are getting too big and damaging their own domestic competitions. But as far as UEFA are concerned they have to satisfy the demands of the so-called big clubs who tried to form a European Super League last year for more games and more revenue.

ECA chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi expects the broadcast rights for the new-look competition to rise by 40 per cent to £3.8 billion a season.

The proposals mean that, from 2024, there will be an extra two places in the Champions League reserved for European clubs who have failed to qualify via their domestic league, but who have traditionally done well in Europe's elite club