European bonus for third-place finishers

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But while England's top three teams will avoid a potential early-season banana skin from 2009, the team finishing fourth in the league will have to endure two preliminary rounds if the proposal is approved on December 1.

Boost: Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (left) and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas could benefit from the new move

UEFA president Michel Platini had hoped to give domestic cup winners a place in the competition but the plan was met with widespread opposition by Europe's elite clubs, including the powerful G14 group.

Platini is understood to have agreed to drop the idea in return for securing a deal where six spots in the group stage are reserved for champions from the bottom 40 leagues in Europe.

A spin-off to UEFA's decision is that a new organisation for clubs is likely to be formed and the G14 are expected to be disbanded.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is set to play a leading role in the new organisation after revealing his club would not join an expanded G14 group.