• Uefa are meeting to discuss proposals for the future of the Champions League
•Ajax reached the semi-final of competition but are not guaranteed a place this year
Image: REUTERS
Uefa are considering ‘protecting’ teams who reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League by guaranteeing them a spot in the following season’s competition.
Ajax reached the semi-final of last season’s competition but have had to sell a series of their best players as they are not definitely going to be in next season’s tournament.
And Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin has revealed that new proposals are on the table to avoid a repeat of that situation.
Ceferin told said: “We would like to protect teams like Ajax this year or Monaco and Leicester City before.
“Ajax played the semi-finals this year and now they will have to sell all their players because they don’t know if they will qualify for the Champions League next year.
“I don’t think we should protect too many clubs, because then it’s too close, but I think we have to protect some clubs.
“One idea is that those clubs who succeed at a certain stage of the competition can compete the following year too.
“But it is a discussion only. We have a meeting on September 11 to debate it with leagues and clubs.”
There are also discussions over a format that includes four groups of eight teams rather than eight of four and expanding the competition to 40 or 48 clubs.
Uefa are also in advanced talks over a ‘Champions of Champions’ match between the winners of the Euros and the Copa America. Meanwhile, Barcelona want Neymar to return to PSG for the start of pre-season to smooth his return to the Nou Camp, according to reports.
Spanish newspaper Sport has reported that Neymar had no plans to return to France after leaving Paris at the end of the season in May to report for international duty with Brazil. The forward hoped that talks between PSG and Barcelona would have progressed enough to mean he would not have had to go back.
But negotiations are still underway and Barcelona do not want Neymar to upset PSG by failing to show up for the start of the new season.
The discussions between the two clubs are reported to be delicately poised. Neither Barcelona nor Neymar have gone public about the possible transfer to keep PSG happy, with the 27-year-old also hoping to keep the focus on Brazil’s Copa America campaign.
They advanced to the final on July 7 by beating Argentina and it is thought that Neymar might discuss the deal after that game against Peru. He is currently recovering from an ankle injury he picked up prior to the tournament.