GENEVA AP UEFA and several of Europe's top clubs agreed Tuesday on a format for a new-look UEFA Cup competition. The revamped competition merging the existing UEFA Cup and Cup Winners Cup should start with 96 teams UEFA's European Football 2000 Task Force decided. The same number of clubs participate in the opening rounds of the current two cups. If UEFA's executive committee approves the proposal eight teams which fail to qualify from their Champions League groups will join the UEFA Cup in its third round. ``It means we have more quality'' UEFA General Secretary Gerhard Aigner told reporters. The cup will have one qualifying round. An alternative proposal with a smaller starting lineup would have required three summer qualifying rounds. Under the Task Force proposal countries whose teams reach the UEFA Cup quarterfinals will receive an extra place in the following season's competition. The group also discussed the financial structure of the revamped Champions League. In October representatives of AC Milan Real Madrid and 10 other major teams agreed not to join a breakaway Super League after UEFA promised to extend next season's European Champions' League from 24 teams to 32 playing in eight groups of four in the first stage. Clubs agreed Tuesday that 5 percent of the money they receive from the new competition should go to the leagues of participating teams Aigner said. The money would be distributed to clubs which don't qualify for European competitions and ``must be used for education of young players'' he added. The European governing body expects the new-look Champions League to generate some 800 million francs dlrs 570 million. Around three-quarters would be distributed to clubs under both the current system of match and performance fees and the clubs' market value. UEFA's executive committee is expected to give final approval to the revamped competitions and decide on a starting date for them when it meets next week in Lausanne Switzerland. ``We have set the sails for a start next season'' Aigner said. Top clubs want the new competitions to begin then to maximize their potential earnings. UR; gm APW19981201.0365.txt.body.html APW19981201.1089.txt.body.html