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After European prize fund figures were released this week, Keith Wyness has urged Uefa to press ahead with plans to alter the allocation of prize money.

Figures released this week showed that Manchester United (£33.9m), Chelsea (£28.7m), Liverpool (£21.1m) and Arsenal (£18.3m) had received massive prize money from their Champions League exertions.

In comparison, Uefa Cup competitors like Everton only earned a fraction of these sums. The Toffees won £400,000 for reaching the last 16 of the Uefa Cup - though that figure does not include gate receipts and TV revenue.

Keith Wyness told reporters, ''The figures released this week are a clear demonstration of why there needs to be a more balanced distribution of the European prize money available each season.

''If the current situation continues then clubs simply will not be able to compete and the gaps in domestic leagues across Europe will become larger and larger and that outcome would not only be dangerous but also be a disservice to supporters who follow their clubs home and abroad.

Uefa have recently claimed that prize money is to be more evenly distributed to avoid strengthening the position of the elite teams but the existing structure will remain in place until 2012.

William Gaillard, director of communications said: ''We are confident that over the next three years the gap between the Champions League and the UEFA Cup will narrow.

''We are well aware there are some imbalances in the revenue distribution which have a negative effect in national leagues by widening the gap between the rich and not so rich.
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