By Andrew Warshaw
September 15 – The Champions League proper kicks off this week but before a ball has even been kicked the debate over seedings has intensified.
UEFA recently announced that they are considering changing the format in the future to avoid domestic champions being ranked lower than other clubs from the same country. The top eight seeds will in future be the league winners of the strongest nations plus the holders of the Champions League.
But Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, whose Premier league titlists have to play German champions Bayern Munich for the second year running and the third time in four seasons, believes the changes should already be taking effect.
City commence their Champions League programme in Germany on Wednesday and Pellegrini argued: “When I looked at the draw it surprised me a bit. I do not think it is good to repeat the group almost exactly as the year before.”
In a clear reference to Arsenal, he added: “I don’t think it is right that the teams who play a qualification round because they finish fourth in their league are in pot one, where the strongest teams should be.”
Arsenal, who had to come through a qualifying tie to reach the group stage, were classified as top seeds and look odds-on to qualify in a group comprising Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Anderlecht.
Current Champions League seedings depend on previous results in the tournament rather than how clubs performed in their domestic leagues. This favours regular participants rather than emerging forces such as City.
“In our group we have the champions of Germany, England and Russia, so it seems a bit unbalanced. I would like to see teams who play qualification go in pot four, and all the champions of their respective leagues in pot one,” said Pellegrini.
” I think that the champions of England and the champions of Germany deserve to be in pot one. The two leagues are among the best in Europe and the champions should not have to keep playing each other straight away.”
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