UEFA to allow extra Champions League spots for top leagues

Madrid, Aug 26 (IANS) The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Friday announced that from 2018 all four major European leagues - La Liga, Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A - will see four teams enter the group stage without having to go through a qualification round.

In a statement on its website, UEFA announced a series of changes to the Champions League and the Europa League to take effect in the 2018 season, among which "the top four clubs from the four top-ranked national associations will now qualify automatically for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League," reports Efe.

In addition, a Champions League group slot will be guaranteed to the previous season's Europa League winner, whereas currently, the winner can be made to qualify through the play-offs.