Report: UEFA to guarantee 4 Champions League spots for Europe's top leagues

Sixteen clubs will represent Europe's top four leagues in the Champions League group stage starting from the 2018-19 season after UEFA agreed to give a quartet of berths to each of the continent's four best divisions, according to ESPN FC's Gabriele Marcotti.

European football's governing body reached a compromise following "tough" negotiations with clubs campaigning for a breakaway super league. Several of these outfits - which remain unnamed in Marcotti's report - demanded a berth based on "historical merit," and explored the possibility of playing matches on the weekend.

UEFA deflected those requests. Weekend fixtures in particular would prove a logistical nightmare, even though it would potentially maximise viewership and commercial sponsorships.

Based on UEFA's co-efficient rankings, the four best leagues at the moment include La Liga, the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A. The Italian top flight would stand to benefit the most after losing a qualification spot to its German rival in 2012.

In other words, it means 50 percent of the group stage would comprise of Spanish, English, German, and Italian teams. France remains the odd man out, although Ligue 1 clubs could improve their country's standing in the co-efficients with deeper runs in the Champions League and Europa League.

UEFA's expected to pass the legislation as part of the new 2018-2021 cycle.