Lampard joins calls to abandon Champions League reforms

 Chelsea manr Frank Lampard believes Champions League format should t be changed if quality of competition is to be maintained. Proposals that could have seen promotion and relegation from Champions League and group st of 32-team competition extended to guarantee more games for those involved have been scrapped due to a lack of support from clubs across continent.

Lampard, who won Champions League with Chelsea in 2011/12 and is managing Blues in this season's competition, thinks putting extra demands on players will water down quality of tournament.

"If you ask me can you play more European games, I personally don't kw where you fit m in amongst our busy schedule," said former England international. "I would find it hard with players to keep quality level and freshness within m.

"I liked format, personally, as a player and as a manr w." In response to rejection of promotion and relegation, where most Champions League clubs would longer have to qualify each year via ir domestic leagues, Giorgio Marchetti, director of competitions for UEFA, said Champions League must remain an "open competition".

" starting point has to be football and t distribution of revenues," added Marchetti.

"We have to remember that we are a sport first and foremost when we are discussing any development on any changes in current system.