Following the Commission decision to investigate UEFA's ban on Coca-Cola Cup winners entering the UEFA Cup competition, Parliament adopted a resolution asking UEFA to reverse its decision. MEPs consider that the decision is an infringement of EU competition rules concerning abuse of a dominant position. They also believe it could have considerable economic and social consequences for a number of English football clubs, especially those from the lower divisions.
Due to the rise in the number of fixtures in the football league, UEFA decided in 1994 to limit the number of games in a season to 34 matches in the first divisions of all its member states. In the UK the Premier League was warned that entitlement to a European place for the League Cup winner would be lost unless it complied with the ruling.
The Premier League declined to accept the UEFA ruling on the number of games per season; and the Football League, which organises the other leagues and the Coca-Cola Cup, was penalised: the winner of the Coca-Cola cup is no longer entitled to a place in the UEFA cup competition.