Scudamore says closed-off Champs League idea 'out of order'

LONDON (AP) - Former Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore says it would be "completely out of order" for the Champions League to be turned into a largely closed-off competition.

Under an idea from UEFA pushed by the European Club Association, 24 out of the 32 teams in the group stage would retain their places for the following season as promotion and relegation is introduced into three tiers of continent-wide competitions.

Scudamore told the BBC on Sunday that the "ECA's proposals under the chairmanship of (Andrea) Agnelli from Juventus, from what I have seen so far, look completely out of order to me."

Scudamore left his day-to-day Premier League role at the end of December but remains an adviser to the world's richest domestic soccer competition.

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