Pair oppose UEFA champions league plans

Liverpool and Manchester United have formally declared their opposition to plans for domestic cup winners to qualify for the Uefa Champions League.



Uefa president Michel Platini has proposed that sides who win their respective home cup competitions will qualify for the group stages of Europe's top competition.


However, Liverpool and United were the most outspoken opponents to the proposals among the 102 members of the European club forum who met in Switzerland on Tuesday.


Platini also plans to secure more places in the group stages of the competition for champions of the smaller leagues in Europe.


This proposal was met with general acceptance, but opinion was divided over the Frenchman's plans for cup winners.



Mixed opinion


Uefa communications director William Gaillard said: "The most opposed to those proposals were Liverpool and Manchester United - they do not want to see a change to the format at all.


"Across the top seven countries however opinion was mixed. The Italians are strongly in favour because they want to revamp their cup competition.


"The Spanish and the French said it should be up to their Football Associations to decide, while the Germans were split among themselves.


"The clubs from the smaller countries were generally in agreement."


The board of the forum, of which Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is a member, will now decide whether to present the objections to Uefa.


A decision on any possible changes will be made at an executive committee meeting in November.