English Premier League chief executive Richard
Scudamore has told CNN Sport that there is no
chance of the top European clubs forming a
breakaway league to rival the Champions League.

The possibility of a breakaway league has been
mooted for several years and earlier this week
Barcelona president Sandro Rossell suggested that
Champions League matches should be played at the
weekend, with the top European leagues all being
reduced to 16 teams to accommodate the fixtures.

However, speaking exclusively to CNN Sport's Don
Riddell, Scudamore rejected any such notions and
insisted that the Champions League will remain a
midweek competition.

"A breakaway league is just not going to happen,"
said Scudamore.

"What has been said has been said
but I'm not going to go along with the sentiment.

"In reality we have a Champions League, it's a
fantastic competition.

Obviously there are some
things the clubs would like to alter and ultimately
discussions will take place and UEFA will do
something to make sure things stay intact."

Scudamore added: "But when it comes to ultimate
football sanctions you just can't break away. The
only reason the Premier League was formed was
because it had the permission of our Football
Association.

"They are the ultimate arbiters of football in this
country and for anyone else to go and play
unsanctioned competitions is unthinkable.

UEFA
would have to agree with what happened, so the idea
that anybody in football can just break away and do
what they want is just impossible."
And speaking specifically about Rossell's comments,
Scudamore continued: "What he said was from a
Barcelona-centric view.

"Our clubs will not be playing European football on a
weekend. European football is a midweek
competition, and domestic football is a weekend
competition."

With six of the current top eight Premier League
clubs now under foreign ownership, there has been
talk the league might go the same way as American
sport, with a franchise system and no promotion and
relegation.

However, Scudamore was quick to dispel any fears of
this, saying: "It doesn't matter to us whether the
owners are foreign or English, what matters to us is
how they run their clubs.

"This idea that everyone who is a non-English owner
is sat somewhere in a members club with these eight
or nine other foreign owners, somehow with a
common view, is nonsensical."

He added: "The one thing I can't see changing is
promotion and relegation. That's the lifeblood of the
whole league.

"Last season Wolverhampton Wanderers were
bottom but they still ended up defeating Manchester
United -- and there is no other league in the world
when the bottom teams can be competitive with the
top. It's because they have to fight to avoid
relegation."