• Michel Platini says major format changes being debated • Seven English teams could play in new Champions League

Michel Platini has said that expanding the Champions League to 64 teams and scrapping the Europa League is an option amid a wide-ranging debate over the future of its club competitions.

Asked about the possibility of scrapping the second tier competition and doubling the size of the Champions League, the Uefa president said the proposal was under discussion.

"There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018. We're discussing it, we will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet," he told French daily Ouest-France.

However, such a radical move is considered unlikely because it would reduce the number of teams in European competition overall and risk diluting the appeal of the Champions League.

There is, however, an acknowledgement that changes are needed to the Europa League if it is to prosper. As such, Uefa is likely to offer a place in the Champions League to both finalists in the competition from 2015 in a bid to increase its allure.

Clubs in England have particular issues with the competition because of the already crowded fixture calendar, which is less of an issue in Spain and Italy. The lure of a place in the following season's Champions League would increase its appeal to sponsors and television audiences.

The European governing body has been encouraged by a recent sponsorship deal with Western Union and improved broadcasting contracts, although the figures pale next to those achieved for the Champions League.

Uefa executives discussing the possible format changes have been told that nothing should be considered off the table. However, earlier experiences with expanding the Champions League have been mixed – the introduction of a second group stage was axed after it proved unpopular with fans and sponsors.

The discussions will be viewed against the backdrop of the ongoing power shifts between the European Clubs Association and Uefa. But Platini said he was not concerned about the intermittent threat of a breakaway league.

"It's a question that is regularly brought up," he said. "It doesn't worry me. I can't see how it could work outside the Uefa framework. Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play? A lot of people want them? I don't think so."

The Europa League was introduced in 2009 to replace the Uefa Cup and has been at the centre of ongoing debate about its viability and attractiveness since.