We reported yesterday that David Gill wanted a seeding system in the draw for the first knockout stage of the competition – luckily UEFA have dismissed the idea out of hand.
Uefa director of communications William Gaillard said: "These plans would turn the competition into a bit of a joke. Are United saying they want a static competition where the same clubs reach the latter stages every season?
"If that’s the case, supporters and television companies would lose interest straightaway because the competition would become boring. The reason why the Champions League is so lucrative to clubs is because the competition is so exciting and full of surprises.
"Introducing seeding that would keep clubs apart would make it boring and result in totally meaningless fixtures during the group stages. If Manchester United had won their group then they would not have been drawn against AC Milan in the knockout stage. Maybe they should consider that. Anyway I’m not sure that United would have beaten PSV Eindhoven, for instance, to reach the last eight."