Champions League revamp could guarantee Premier League four slots in group stages

By Bryan Swanson, Chief News Reporter, and Kaveh Solhekol

Image: Chelsea's players celebrate after winning the 2012 Champions League

England is expected to have four guaranteed places in the Champions League group stage from the 2018-19 season after Europe's top football officials met to discuss changes to the competition in Monaco on Thursday.

Sky sources understand a revamp would include four guaranteed group places for the top four nations in UEFA's rankings for club competitions - currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy.

It is understood representatives from UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) discussed a variety of options to ward off the threat of a breakaway Super League.

Bryan Swanson talks us through the expected changes to the Champions League format which will be announced on Friday

Many clubs have expressed concerns - primarily through the ECA - about the qualifying criteria and format of UEFA club competitions.

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European football's governing body is expected to reveal more about its proposals on Friday ahead of an Extraordinary UEFA Congress from 14 September, in Athens, where a new UEFA president will be elected to replace Michel Platini.

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Meanwhile, UEFA presidential candidate Alexander Ceferin is due to hold talks with British associations, including The FA, SFA and Irish FA, at Hampden Park on Friday.

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