The managers of some of England’s leading clubs have come out against the idea of a European Super League.
Speculation has been swirling that the biggest clubs in the continent are planning a breakaway competition in order to ring-fence their dominance and earning power.
A major US sports company involved in talks about a Super League says that the idea is most definitely on the table, though it currently doesn’t have managers’ backing.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal claims he has never been a supporter of plans to form an elite league made up of Europe's biggest clubs.
The Dutchman even suggested the Champions League should revert back to its old format when only domestic league winners were invited to take part.
The Champions League first allowed the runners-up of eight domestic leagues to participate in the 1997-98 season, when Van Gaal was in charge at Barcelona.
Previous to that he had won the competition with Ajax and later guided Bayern Munich to the final.
"Everybody knows, when you follow my career, that I am against all the super leagues and something like that," he said.
"Sport is to be the best and also when the Champions League was (expanding), I said it was rubbish because now the second, third and fourth team is also playing.
"It has to be between champions in my opinion. I said that 20 years ago and I say it now again.
"I think sport is to win, not to be second or third."
Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink supported Van Gaal in suggesting qualification for Europe's elite competition should be based on sporting success rather than financial might.
"I think we must all be careful to go into exclusivity when teams like, this year, surprisingly, Leicester is mixing in," he said.
"They have the full right to be where they are now and are a good contender for the next Champions League this year."
Representatives from five established powers of the English game - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United - met with the chairman of American company Relevent Sports, Charlie Stillitano, in London on Tuesday.
The meeting was primarily about the pre-season International Champions Cup competition, which is staged in the United States and Asia and organised by Relevent Sports.
The clubs have denied that any discussions took place regarding a European Super League.
However, when asked if a Super League was still on the agenda, Stillitano said: "I think it is. They're talking about it all over Europe. At least a change in format.
"When they came up with the Champions League, the idea wasn't to have PSV and Genk playing in the knock-out stage.
"What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create it?
"Let's call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester?
“It's a wonderful, wonderful story - but you could see it from Manchester United's point of view, too."
Leicester City are surprise Premier League leaders and their manager Claudio Ranieri (above) is very much against a Super League.
And he said that the big clubs only have themselves to blame if they finish behind the Foxes this season.
"This is sport, no?” he said. “I understand they want to do something, but if something strange happens, they shouldn't blame the little teams, they should blame themselves.
"They are trying to do something, but I think people must think about what fans want, not only about money, because the culture and the fans are more important than other things."
UEFA is aware of the threat of a breakaway competition but remains confident the continent's elite clubs will remain committed to the Champions League.
