OFFICIAL: The top four teams from the four highest-ranked leagues will enter the #UCL group stage from 2018

Europe's top four leagues will have four guaranteed places in the Champions League group stage from the 2018-19 season, UEFA has confirmed.

The top four leagues in the UEFA coefficient ranking -- currently La Liga, the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A -- will see four teams enter the group stage without having to go through a qualification round.

Currently, La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League are guaranteed three group spots, with a fourth possible through the qualifying round, while Serie A has two guaranteed spots and a third possible via qualification.

The Premier League was in danger of losing one its places to Serie A at the end of this season, particularly after Sassuolo qualified for this season's Europa League group stage while West Ham were eliminated, but both leagues will now get four Champions League spots.

The top flights in Russia, Portugal and France are currently all vying to be Europe's fifth-ranked division but are some distance behind the current top four.

However, the coefficient system will be revamped with clubs judged only on their own records and historical success in European competition also acknowledged.

UEFA has also confirmed that the Europa League winners will now automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage. At present the winners enter at the playoff stage by right, but are elevated to the group stage if the holders also qualify via league position.

The revamp will also involve a change to the way in which clubs are paid, with UEFA explaining: "A new four-pillar financial distribution system (starting fee, performance in the competition, individual club coefficient and market pool) will see sporting performances better rewarded, while market pool share will decrease."

"The amendments made will continue to ensure qualification based on sporting merit, and the right of all associations and their clubs to compete in Europe's elite club competitions.

"We are happy that European football remains united behind the concepts of solidarity, fair competition, fair distribution and good governance."

Adjustments to the current format of the Champions League can only begin in 2018 as that is when the next three-year commercial cycle starts.

Champions League draw: Premier League champions get Porto

Barcelona are the first team out. Teams from Pot 1 will be drawn first. Leicester out second and go into Group G. Real are the third team drawn. Bayern Munich go into Group D. Portuguese champions Benfica go into Group B. Russia's CSKA Moscow are put into Group E. Paris Saint-Germain go into Group A. Finally Juventus go into Group H.

Okay here is where it gets interesting. Here comes Pot 2. Thierry Henry replaces Clarence Seedorf to help Ian Rush draw the teams.

FC Porto are the first team out in Pot 2. They go into Group G alongside Leicester. Sevilla are next and they go into Group H along with Juventus. Third comes Borussia Dortmund and they are drawn with Real Madrid in Group F. Here comes Arsenal and they get put into Group A along with PSG. Next Napoli get put into Group B with Benfica. The sixth team out are Bayer Leverkusen and they go into Group E with CSKA. That means Atletico Madrid get Bayern Munich and Man City get Barcelona.

Two pots down, two to go. Ruud van Nistelrooy replaces Thierry Henry to assist Ian Rush with the draw for Pot 3. 

The first team out in Pot 3 are Lyon and they go into Pot H. Sporting Lisbon are out next and they go into Group F. Here come Spurs and they are put into Group E. Next Dynamo Kiev are put into Group B. PSV Eindhoven go into Group D. Club Brugge are drawn into Group G alongside Leicester. FC Basel go into Group A. Finally Borussia Monchengladbach go into Group C.

Roberto Carlos is Ian Rush's final helper of the evening to draw Pot 4. First team out are Ludogorets and they go into Group A. Second team out is FC Copenhagen and they go into Group G along with Leicester. Legia Warsaw are next and they go into Group F. Fourth come Monaco and they are drawn into Group E beside Spurs. Dinamo Zagreb go into Group H. FC Rostov are drawn in Group D. Besiktas go into Group B. Finally Celtic get put into Group C along with Man City and Barcelona.