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UEFA to distribute €24m in revamped Women's Champions League

UEFA has announced it will redistribute €24 million ($29m) to clubs across Europe when the revamped women's Champions League kicks off next season.

UEFA said on Tuesday that the new format, which includes a 16-team group stage with centralised marketing and television coverage, will increase revenue while the distribution model also draws on a cross-subsidy from the men's competitions.

VAR, which has only been used in the final of the women's competition, will be used from the quarterfinals on from next season, UEFA said.

The cash redistribution amount is more than four times the current figure going to clubs across Europe. UEFA added that 23% of the amount will be distributed to non-participating clubs in Europe's top domestic leagues in the form of solidarity payments.

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UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, fresh from seeing off the threat of a breakaway "Super League" by 12 elite clubs earlier this month, said the new system was a perfect example of how the model was key to the long-term development of women's football.

"The development of women's football should not be driven by short term gain but a long term vision," Ceferin said in a statement.

"Thanks to the solidarity payments at the heart of this project and the increased rewards, every last Euro generated by the women's Champions League and even more will go back into the women's game."

UEFA said the new model will allow teams competing in the group stage to receive at least €400,000 -- five times the amount teams earn at present in the last-16 -- while winners walk away with €1.4m.