UEFA Announces Top European Leagues Guaranteed Champions League Spots from 2018

UEFA has announced a significant change to the format of the Champions League, starting in 2018—from then onward, the top four sides in the top four UEFA associations will be guaranteed a place in the group stage of the competition.

The association revealed the news on Friday via its official website, with BBC Sport's Richard Conway supplying further details:

Currently, the four top-ranked associations in UEFA are Spain, Germany, England and Italy.

The change in format, which will also see the winners of the Europa League automatically reach the group stage of the elite competition rather than having to potentially qualify through a play-off, will last for at least three seasons.

Further, "financial distribution to clubs will be increased significantly for both competitions," which UEFA believes "will see sporting performances better rewarded."

Football writers James Horncastle and Dale Johnson gave their insights:

Qualification for clubs outside the four leading associations will otherwise remain unaffected. There will still be 32 and 48 teams in the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League respectively.

As Johnson noted, the change is a let-off for Premier League clubs, whose poor performances in the competition in recent years put them at risk of losing a place to Serie A:

UEFA's interim general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said:

"

The evolution of UEFA's club competitions is the result of a wide-ranging consultative process involving all stakeholders and taking into account a wide range of expertise and perspectives.

The amendments made will continue to ensure qualification based on sporting merit, and the right of all associations and their clubs to compete in Europe's elite club competitions.

We are happy that European football remains united behind the concepts of solidarity, fair competition, fair distribution and good governance.

"

Reaction poured in on social media, with many pundits critical of UEFA and the changes:

For European football's governing body, the move will allow it to showcase more of Europe's biggest clubs each year—which could be seen as a self-perpetuating cycle given the rewards that will then be on offer.

It will also mean scenarios such as Roma missing out on a group-stage place because they met FC Porto in their play-off, which ensured the Giallorossi will not compete in the Champions League proper during Francesco Totti's final season at the club, are avoided.

For teams such as Leicester City, who have little history of competing in Europe prior to their Champions League qualification this year, they will be hindered by lower financial rewards when compared with their counterparts who have tasted success in the past.

That said, for those clubs in the leading associations that don't typically reach the Champions League, the prospect of finishing fourth and avoiding the risk of an early exit at the play-off stage will be a welcome change.

Ultimately, the divisive move is likely to be welcomed by those who stand to gain from it. But with the gap between Europe's elite and the rest set to get even bigger, there will be many more for whom the changes are undesirable.