A number of European clubs have gone public with their opposition to Andrea Agnelli's radical Champions League proposals.
The European Club Association (ECA), headed up by Juventus president Agnelli, has proposed a nearly closed competition from 2024.
An unprecedented move, it would potentially break with qualification being achieved through domestic performance and potentially shut off access for a number of clubs.
Reuters report that the controversial proposal involves a three-tier league with promotion and relegation between each tier, according to European league officials who have seen the plans.
The top tier, featuring 32 teams, would be the new version of the Champions League. But it would feature eight groups of four, rather than four groups of eight, and 24 teams would keep their places for the following season.
Now a number of the ECA's 232 members have spoken out, ahead of Agnelli holding a news conference on Friday afternoon.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito declared "most" Italian clubs are against plans, stating: "We have to stop the current plans and we have to sit with all stakeholders and start the whole project from scratch."
Schalke 04 chief executive Peter Peters said in a statement that "nearly all European clubs are not convinced" about the proposal and that discussions needed to start "with a blank page."
And St Etienne president Bernard Caiazzo claimed the meeting in Malta was a "step forward in efforts to block the reform".
Wanja Greuel, chief executive of Swiss champions Young Boys, said that "for the very first time several clubs from all over Europe have stated their firm opposition to the current proposal presented by UEFA and ECA."
Bordeaux president Frederic Longuepee added: "Any coherent reform can't protect the interest of a few at the expense of the majority
It comes after the Premier League released a statement on Wednesday reiterating its objection to the plans.
"The Premier League and our clubs today unanimously reaffirmed our strong opposition to the proposed reform of UEFA club competitions from 2024, which would alter the structure, calendar and competitiveness of league football.
"We believe the proposals - particularly the suggested format and qualification criteria - would be detrimental to domestic leagues across the continent.
"There was unanimous agreement that the domestic game should continue to be the priority for professional clubs, and any changes to the football calendar must respect the requirements of domestic competitions.
"Critically, qualification for the Champions League and the Europa League must continue to depend on current domestic performance."
