Kieran Maguire

Mon 7 March 2022 20:30, UK

Teams like Arsenal who have a strong Uefa coefficient could qualify for the Champions League regardless of league position after 2024.

That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the new format for Europe’s top club competition.

Uefa is set to expand the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams under a new Swiss model format from the beginning of 2024-25.

It is yet to be confirmed how the extra four places will be delegated, leading analysts to believe it could be based on historic performance in Europe.

Arsenal are 11th in Uefa’s 10-year coefficient table despite the fact that they have not completed in the Champions League since 2016-17.

Per the Daily Mail on Thursday (3 March), Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin slammed the clubs trying to resurrect the European Super League.

But Maguire claimed that the re-formatted Champions League could also suffer from the same anti-meritocratic principles as the Super League.

“It’s what the new format doesn’t say as much as what it does,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.

“There are no guarantees over qualifying criteria, for example. I think that’s one of the most important things to note.

“The smart money suggests that two places will go to other clubs in Europe and two will go to clubs that have a high 10-year coefficient.

“That is going to play into the hands of Premier League clubs with recent history in the competition.

“In theory, you could have a club finish 7th in the league and 24th in the Champions League group stage and they could go on to win the tournament.

“It’s just intuitively wrong. You can have lost a lot of games to get to that point.”

Arsenal moved into the top four with a 3-2 victory over Watford last Sunday (6 March).

They are next in action against Leicester City on Sunday (13 March).

In other news, ex-Premier League referee Mikel Arteta guilty of breaking law as controversial Arsenal footage analysed.