LONDON -- UEFA Presid ent Lennart Johansson has reiterated the opposition of European soccer's governing body to the revival of FIFA's World Club Championship.

"We have to fight that. I hope we can reach an agreement with FIFA because the players and clubs need rest between matches and you also need dates for the international teams," Johansson said on the English Football Association's website. "I think the national teams are number one in football -- then it is the leagues and the clubs. Every player in this country is extremely proud of putting on the England shirt. They dream about it as kids."

As part of an ongoing battle to reduce the amount of games top players play, UEFA have decided to revert to one group stage in their flagship Champions League from next season.

"We did it after listening to the Players' Union, to the clubs and to the doctors," Johansson said. "They said there were too many matches and we had to limit the number of games the top players were involved in. "Of course, at that time we didn't know that FIFA were planning to re-introduce a confederations cup for clubs."

UEFA voiced their opposition to the World Club Championship at their Executive Committee meeting in Athens three weeks ago, Reuters reported.

The championship was first held in Brazil in 2000.

FIFA plan to hold it again in 2005 after it was canceled in 2001 due to lack of sponsorship.

In addition to the club competition, eight national teams will take part in the sixth edition of FIFA's Confederations Cup in France in June.