Change is afoot as European giants discuss Champions League shake-up

Leicester City better keep their Tuesdays and Wednesdays free next season

Changes to the Champions League appear to be on the agenda, with several of Europe's top clubs in discussions about the future of the competition. The European Clubs' Association (ECA) have indicated that they will work alongside Uefa on any 'improvements' to the competition in the next couple of years, but it appears a rumoured breakaway super league is unlikely. Speculation that some of the continent's largest football teams have been plotting such a league has surfaced on numerous occasions in recent years, but it now seems changes, if introduced, won't be quite so drastic. Umberto Gandini, the ECA's senior vice-chairman, suggested a review of the tournament's format would take six to nine months, adding that any changes are likely to involve whichever teams qualify for the competition. "It may be just a slight change to the access list, it may be many aspects of the competition that can be reviewed and adjusted," he is quoted as saying by the BBC. As things stand, 78 teams qualify from the 54 Uefa member leagues across Europe. Following the preliminary rounds, 32 teams enter into the group stages.