English clubs’ plea for bigger Champions League squads rejected after Spanish backlash

Premier League clubs wanted expanded 28-man squads for Champions League, but the proposal has not been put forward for Uefa’s executive committee

Uefa has rejected requests from English clubs to increase the size of Champions League squads to 28 next season after a backlash led by their counterparts in Spain.

As reported by the Guardian larger squad sizes was discussed at a meeting of Uefa’s club competitions committee last month, but the proposal has not been put forward for the next meeting of Uefa’s executive committee, which will take place before the Europa League final in Istanbul on 20 May.

The regulations for next season’s Champions League have since been signed off by the competitions committee without any change to the long-established 25-man squad size, although the subject could be revisited before the 2027-28 season, the first of Uefa’s next four-year TV rights cycle.

The current squad regulations were introduced almost 20 years ago and a number of Premier League clubs argued for a bigger group of players to reflect the expansion of the competition and to protect against injury and burnout.

The competitions committee was unable to reach a consensus at the meeting, with the Spanish representatives – Atlético Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad – in particular pushing back due to concerns about Premier League clubs being able to use their financial firepower to build even stronger squads.

There is also a feeling in Europe that Premier League clubs have an advantage in the league phase with the so-called country protection principle meaning they are unable to be drawn against each other, giving them an easier path to the knockout stages. All six Premier League clubs reached the last 16 this season, although only Arsenal and Liverpool have made it through to the quarter-finals.

After Uefa’s introduction of the 36-team league phase last season, all clubs in the Champions League play at least an extra two matcheswhile those who fail to finish in the top eight have an additional two games in the January playoffs to determine qualification for the last 16.

The former Tottenham coach Thomas Frank raised the issue in January when he was frustration at being forced to drop Mathys Tel from his squad for their final phase game against Eintracht Frankfurt because Dominic Solankewas returning from injury.