Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate insists the Champions League is not a closed shop and many sides within The Premier League could qualify for the competition.
But Southgate said on Setanta Sports News that several sides could break the monopoly and qualify for Europe's premier club competition.
. He said: "It is self-perpetuating to qualify for the Champions League each year, you make that much more money than anyone else.
"But obviously, given time, the likes of Everton, are closing the gap. They have qualified for the Champions League before. And when you look at Tottenham's financial spending, they could break into that group.
"But it takes time. I think we can all remember a spell not so long ago when Chelsea were nowhere near European football.
"Everything goes in cycles and there will be a club emerging, as Leeds did a few years ago, that, for a time, will compete."
