Wolves Trust joins fight on Champions League plans

Plans for 2024 will see several changes to the competition, including the introduction of a ‘Swiss model’ league of 36 teams, rather than the current 32-team group stage.

There has also been backlash to the plans to give two spots to teams who failed to qualify for the Champions League but have a strong recent pedigree in the competition.

Criticism towards that move labels it as a breach of sporting merit and integrity and the Wolves 1877 Trust are fighting the proposals alongside the Football Supporters’ Association.

The trust’s FSA representative, Ciaran Barker, said: “As a club we must stand firm against such proposals, which will no doubt impact our long-term goals of playing regular European football.

“It will reduce the competitiveness of European races in the Premier League, such as the one we have enjoyed this season, and therefore reduce the club’s chances of playing in Europe on a regular basis.

“By standing alongside other supporters’ trusts and the Football Supporters Association, we strongly oppose these plans to protect the integrity of our game and continue Wolves’ long term ambition to grow both on and off the pitch.”

The trust’s interim chairman Dan Warren added: “We are concerned that expansion of teams in UEFA tournaments will risk domestic cup competitions such as the League Cup and will result in higher costs for fans.

“We also wouldn’t support any proposals that would allow leap frogging to take place. Teams should be in Europe on sporting merit and not on the commercial size of the club.”

Following the attempted break-away European Super League, the FSA has been in contact with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin over making fans’ voices heard and have called on the governing body to overturn the plans.

An FSA statement read: “We are united in opposition to proposals to reform the Champions League that are a back door attempt at a return to the discredited idea of a European Super League.

“Last year we engaged in constructive discussions with Uefa president Ceferin who made a commitment that fans would be listened to in this process. Our collective voice is unified and our position clear. We call on UEFA to demonstrate that it acts in the interests of the wider football community and its supporters, not just the interests of the few rich investors and state-owned clubs that, less than a year ago, tried to destroy the European football family.”