European soccer's governing body has decided not to change its current 32-team format but warned clubs that television companies' interest in the game was waning and domestic competitions could be hit hard.
UEFA's executive committee voted to keep the present format of two group stages before knock-out quarter-finals until 2006, despite concern the competition, which starts in August with qualifiers, is too bloated.
President Lennart Johansson said UEFA had asked the opinion of clubs, leagues and federation officials and they had supported the present format.
"We ended up with an absolute majority for the format of 32 teams in two phases," he told a news conference.
"The decision is to support the current format which is in place to the end of next season. The next deal (on broadcasting) will run 2003-2006 and will be based on this decision," added UEFA spokesman Mike Lee.
But chief executive Gerhard Aigner said European soccer would have to take account of declining television audiences and realise competitions that were traditionally broadcast may be dropped by tv companies.
"It is stagnating, we are not increasing audiences," he said. "We have to look at the market very carefully and there is a clear indication that football as such doesn't enjoy the same degree of interest from television as it used to.
"Television is choosing now and not necessarily transmitting automatically any football game.
"The response from the market shows us that the Champions' League is not a product that they would abandon. But they abandon other matches, other competitions, and we see that now starting already at the national level.
"I think the Champions League is in a good situation because it is the top product and it will enjoy, even in the future, great interest from the television stations.
"But we have to be aware that there is a selection process ongoing and not every match is automatically going on TV nowadays."