The European Professional Football Leagues said that the "recently-announced changes to the Champions League are detrimental" to domestic football in Europe and will "increase the gap between the wealthiest clubs and the rest," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. The EPFL, the umbrella grouping for 24 European domestic leagues, also called upon the next UEFA president to "reconsider the changes which made fewer places available" in the Champions League group stage to teams from smaller countries. It was "the first major criticism of the reforms of the lucrative competition," which were announced in Monaco in August after "secretive negotiations" between UEFA and the clubs. UEFA also announced changes in the distribution of revenue with "more emphasis placed on the historic sporting results of the clubs and less on the value" of their TV markets (REUTERS, 9/8). In London, Ben Rumsby reported the EPFL accused UEFA of "driving through the change to its elite club competition without consulting Europe’s leagues." The EPFL said in a statement, "The European Leagues believe the way this process has been conducted by Uefa to be unacceptable for an organisation that claims to be the governing body of football in Europe. A major change in European football has been announced without the support and consensus of the organisers of domestic league football in Europe" (TELEGRAPH, 9/8). In Glasgow, Matt Slater reported the EPFL "is threatening to rip up the agreement in which no domestic games can be played in the same time slots as Champions League or Europa League games." Under current rules, "no domestic games can be played in the same time slots as Champions League or Europa League games," which has meant British broadcasters have had to move cup replays or rearranged league fixtures to "unusual times to avoid clashing with European games," even when there has been no domestic interest (DAILY RECORD, 9/8). In London, Jack de Menezes reported the next UEFA president will be elected next Wednesday. It appears that the first major task "will be to smooth over relations with the EPFL, after they called on the eventual president to reconsider the changes or risk further action." The EPFL statement said, "Finally, the EPFL calls on the new Uefa president, to be elected next week, to reconsider the reform relating to Uefa club competitions. The European Leagues stand ready to meet the new Uefa president to discuss these matters" (INDEPENDENT, 9/8).
