Uefa Cup shake-up

The winners would qualify for the Champions League

A radical shake-up of the Uefa Cup has been proposed as European football's governing body attempts to save the competition from an envisaged slow death.

Uefa hopes that introducing a group format midway through the competition will emulate the success of the Champions League.

But it has insisted that it will not just be a second-class replica of its major competition and defeated clubs in the opening stages of the Champions League would no longer drop into the Uefa Cup.

Uefa predicts a doubling of the present £103m income generated by the present competition.

We have to make it a product that makes an impression

Uefa chief Gerhard Aigner

It will discuss the proposal with the new European Club Forum containing 102 representatives from clubs around the continent.

The present straight knockout format was, at a meeting with club representatives at Uefa's Swiss headquarters, described as "an unsatisfactory product in a declining market" amid stagnating TV audiences and revenue figures.

Uefa chief executive Gerhard Aigner told the meeting: "We have to make it a product that makes an impression in the market as an attractive alternative to the Uefa Champions League."

Following a qualifying round in season 2003-4, the winners in 40 first-round ties would qualify for eight groups of five teams.

Each team would play two home and two away games, facing each club once instead of the home and away format used in the Champions League.

Two teams from each group would qualify for further knockout stages, with the winners qualifying for the following season's Champions League.

It has to be stressed that this is not a done deal

Rangers director Campbell Ogilvie

The proposed new format has been widely supported by clubs, but Scottish giants Rangers are one outfit so far greeting it with caution.

Rangers' director-secretary Campbell Ogilvie, lauded by his club as influential in creating the Champions League, told his club's website: "My first reaction was one of caution because normally you play opponents both home and away.

"Having studied the plan, I can see the merits of making the Uefa Cup quite different to the Champions League, but it has to be stressed that this is not a done deal.

"The final decision on the new format of the Uefa Cup will be made in December and, while this plan may be adopted, there may be ammendments made.

"One thing is sure, however, the Uefa Cup will involve a group stage from 2003 and the new tournament will run until 2006, when the current set-up of the Champions League is reviewed.

"TV money would be centralised, but clubs would retain some rights."