Representatives from Ajax Amsterdam, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands, Anderlecht and Club Bruges of Belgium, Brondby and FC Copenhagen of Denmark, Portugal's Benfica and Sporting, Scottish sides Celtic and Rangers and AIK Stockholm engaged in a frank discussion with a UEFA delegation headed by president Lennart Johansson, who said he would report on plans for the new league at executive board meetings later this week.
"We heard and listened and will use the meeting today to brief the executive committee at their meeting later this week in Lausanne," said UEFA spokesman Mike Lee.
"There was genuine concern expressed today and UEFA is always willing to listen to people's concerns."
The leagues in smaller European nations are disturbed that clubs from the five largest European Union leagues - in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - have dominated the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and are monopolising revenues from the tournaments.
"The polarisation of escalating television rights incomes towards the new Champions League format and the large domestic league competitions means that budgets of the clubs within these leagues have risen to a level that clubs in small EU countries, in the current situation, will never be able to reach," the clubs said in a joint statement issued late on Monday.
The clubs first outlined a possible solution, the Euro League - which could have Swedish participation - in September.
The Euro League clubs have been meeting national football associations and domestic leagues since then and said they are working to refine their plans.
"This approach will result in a concrete and realistic proposal, which will be presented to the international football community in spring 2001," they said.
Reuters
Twelve major clubs from six of Europe's smaller nations have met with UEFA, to voice their concerns about the growing gap between soccer's rich and poor and discuss proposals for a new "Euro League".
