Thursday 28 January 2016 12:34, UK
The European Club Association (ECA) are discussing proposals which could see significant changes being made to the Champions League.
Some members of the ECA, which represents the interests of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, are concerned that too many big clubs are missing out on places in the Champions League.
Missing out on the Champions League is estimated to cost clubs between £40m and £50m a season, and one solution which has been discussed is to have guaranteed places for some of the competitions past winners.
Seven-times winners AC Milan have not played in the competition since the 2013-14 season. Manchester United missed out last season and there is a real chance 2012 winners Chelsea will miss out next season.
There are also concerns that it is easier for clubs from leagues, such as Spain, Germany and France to qualify for the Champions League.
For instance, this season English clubs have a fight on their hands to qualify, but clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are almost guaranteed a place every season in Europe's most prestigious club tournament.
UEFA have confirmed they are reviewing the format of the competition, but that may not be as significant as it sounds. In a statement UEFA said it "constantly reviews the format of its competitions in close consultation with stakeholders, including the European Club Association".
And UEFA went on to say that there were no concrete proposals on the table at the moment.
Interestingly, two of the most senior members of the ECA, Bayern Munich chief executive Karl Heinz Rummenigge and AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani attended last week's UEFA executive committee meeting.
UEFA will vote on giving the ECA a seat on its executive committee at its Congress in Budapest in May.
As far as changes to the Champions League are concerned, nothing will happen until the 2018-19 season. That is when a new three-year TV deal cycle will start. Any proposals, though, will have to be firmed up before then because TV companies will need to know exactly what they are buying.
At the moment, clubs are sharing about £1 billion of TV revenue every season. Some of the biggest clubs in Europe want to make sure that they never miss out on their share of that money.
