Premier League could reduce number of teams in bid for Champions League glory

It has been three full seasons since an English club made the Champions League final, but the FA thinks it has a solution to the slump.

The governing body will encourage Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore to reduce the number of teams in the top-flight to 18, according to The Times, with recommendations to also reduce the number of promoted and relegated teams to two. It is hoped that the move would also benefit England's national team, which has not made the semi-finals of a major tournament since 1996. There have been 20 teams in the Premier League ever since the 1995/96 season, when the total dropped from 22, but other top European leagues have fewer teams and/or only one major cup competition. The FA is thought to be concerned that fixture congestion has hindered English clubs' progress in Europe - since Chelsea's Champions League victory in 2012, no Premier League club has made the final. Indeed, Chelsea and Manchester United, both in the 2013/14 campaign, are the only English outfits to progress beyond the last 16 in the last three seasons.