Imagine yourself if UEFA had decided to.
*Keep the UEFA Champions League as a tournament just for national champions even from the 1997–1998 season (including the women's edition from I think 2009–2010)
*Continued letting the second and third of any country into the UEFA Europa League from the 1997–1998 season (and UEFA Cup as it first was called).
*Kept the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup even after the 1998–1999 season.
How would international European club team soccer have been affected? Which winners of various tournaments would be have? Remember that, for example, Liverpool FC couldn't have won the 2004–2005 UEFA Champions League.