Huge boost received for Premier League clubs as UEFA confirms new rules

UEFA has announced the introduction of new rules to a set of European competitions starting from next season, which will see clubs in the top 5 European League benefit to a great extent, part of which is notably the English Premier League.

UEFA handed Premier League clubs a huge boost  as all four English teams will now be given a direct entry into the Champions League group stages without having to go through two legged play off before qualifying, alongside clubs from Italy, Germany and Spain, as well as the current holders of the European Cup and the Europa Leauge.

Top of the latest change in rules sees the Champions League quota with increase in teams going straight into the group stage, with the allocation increasing by four, from 22 to 26 teams, while changes to kick-off times has also been introduced by the European governing body from their announcement earlier of Tuesday.

In spit of the fact that the format of the competition remains the same from the group stage further, a number of alterations that will come into effect at the start of next season for both the Champions League and Europa League has been revealed.

The lack of qualifying rounds is a huge boost for English sides who have seen those of them finishing fourth having navigate tricky ties in order to qualify for the tournament over the years.

A closely recent one is the hurdle Liverpool has to face earlier this season after finishing fourth last season, and this term, had to overcome German side Hoffenheim in the qualifying rounds in order to qualify for the group stage.

The governing body has also changed traditional kick-off times in the Champions League starting from next season announcing that from the 2018/19 season, start times will be staggered between 5.55pm and 8pm, just as it currently runs in the current Europa League format.

Featuring the final stage of the change now sees The Europa League with 17 clubs now qualifying directly into the group phase through domestic league positions, plus another 10 dropping into the competition from the Champions League play-offs and third qualifying round and a further 21 clubs will make it through the normal qualifying route.

A further two teams from the Premier League, Seire A, La Liga and Bundesliga will also qualify directly for the Europa League group stages as well as two from France.

UEFA has also stated In a further announcement by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin that it will not be using the VAR in the next season of the Champion’s league.

He said “Fans see the VAR screen all the time but nobody knows how it works,”

He added”We will not use it in the Champions League next season. For me, it might be a good project but we shouldn’t rush it.”

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Monday that he continued to support the use of the system, which has been trialled across 20 competitions over the past two years, at this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.

He said: “If we, or I, can do something to make sure that the World Cup is not decided by a referee’s mistakes, then I think it’s our duty to do it.”

 

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