Players' panel welcomes Champions League change

The decision to scrap the second group phase of the Champions League will improve the competition and ease demands on leading players, Real Madrid general manager Emilio Butragueno said on Thursday.

The decision, effective from next season, was made last July and was criticised at the time by leading clubs.

But speaking at a meeting of UEFA's executive committee and its players' panel, Butragueno predicted an improvement in quality and excitement.

He said the reduction in fixture numbers, brought about by the scrapping of the second phase in favour of two-legged knockout stages, would prevent leading players from suffering burn-out and fatigue.

Butragueno said: "A very good player has to play in too many games and I don't think it is very good for (Zinedine) Zidane, Ronaldo or (David) Beckham."

"It is very difficult for them to be at their best all of the time. I understand the commercial issues because it is an industry but we have to think seriously about the players and their health."

He added: "I think the competition is going to be more exciting. We now have the last 16 and there is going to be a lot of tension, a lot of excitement."

The players' panel is made up of retired professionals and includes Italian Gianluca Vialli, Croatian Zvonimir Boban and Frenchman Jean-Pierre Papin.

Vialli is also aware of the demands of the English game following his time playing for and managing Chelsea.

He said: "It's like eating caviar. It is such a special food that you don't feel like eating it every day. You've got to eat it once a week, once every two weeks and by doing that you love it."

"But if you eat caviar every day, after a month you do not love it. Football is the same."