Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm says he does not like the prospect of the new-look Champions League which will reserve half of the group stage places for clubs from Europe's top four leagues.
UEFA confirmed last month that the next three-year Champions League cycle, which starts in 2018-19, will see the top four nations in its co-efficient rankings - currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy - all receive four guaranteed berths in the group stage of the competition.
That means teams from the top four leagues would occupy 16 of the 32 group stage places, a figure which Lahm sees as too high.
Speaking after Bayern's 5-0 win over Russian side Rostov in the Champions League, Lahm told sport1.de: "There has got to be the chance for teams like these, countries like these, to be involved.
"That is how I see football. Everybody should have a chance to be involved."
Lahm's view contrasts with that of his club's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, however.
Rummenigge has been at the forefront of a lobby by European football's top clubs to move towards a type of European super league in which there are more clashes between the biggest clubs on the continent.
"It's not on that a select group of top clubs play in one league and the rest fight it out for something else," added Lahm, who has already announced that he will be retiring in 2018, before the changes come in.
"That's not how I view football. It's more interesting when Bayern play Real Madrid home and away in the semi-finals than when there are 10 or 12 matches between them (in a season).
"All teams, above all domestic champions, should have the chance to qualify for the Champions League."
Source: PA
