By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – The Premier League is considering a unique proposal to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League spot.
Under the proposed initiative, teams from fourth to seventh will play in a mini-knockout competition similar to the divisional playoff system in the English league.
Reports today said the Premier League has been presented with “a number of ideas” for altering the competition’s format though there will be no changes for three years at least because of television commitments.
The proposal, aired earlier this month at a meeting of all 20 clubs, will be discussed against in April. Any change would need the approval of at least 14 out of the 20 Premier League clubs but the idea is to inject fresh spice into the climax to the season.
The same four clubs – Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea – have filled the top four positions in five of the past six seasons. Only Everton, in 2005, have broken that stranglehold. Supporters of altering the system argue that it is the only way to stop the spiral of Champions League money going into the coffers of the same clubs every year and therefore increasing the likelihood of those clubs attracting the best players.
But there are huge question marks about whether the season could be lengthened to accommodate more games and whether they could be fitted into an already congested calendar.
Not only that. Opponents point out that the stakes are far too high to allow a seventh-placed club that could finish 20 points behind the fourth-placed team to take its place in the Champions League qualifying round.
Clearly the established ‘big four’ would obviously have the most to lose. Of far more merit perhaps is the much discussed idea of a one-off game between the fourth-placed team and the winners of the FA Cup, the latter at present having to be content with a Europa League spot.