Clubs such as Liverpool will struggle to ever win their national league again unless UEFA changes how it distributes the huge financial benefits of the Champions League, the head of the Bundesliga has claimed.
Two German clubs - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - are contesting the Champions League final on Saturday but Christian Seifert, the Bundesliga chief executive, believes that UEFA needs to spread the rewards more broadly.
Seifert fears that those financial rewards will continue to grow - and go straight to the top clubs and further distort national competitions.
He told a briefing in London: "Money coming out of the Champions League is an enormous influence - in Germany it is double the money from the national media contract.
"I think UEFA need to think again how they distribute the money from the Champions League and Europa League because each country needs an attractive national competition and not just two teams dominating.
"Without a doubt it has an impact. If the money of the Champions League gets more and more and the gap gets bigger and bigger then of course it's probably not the best thing for national competition.
"When I grew up one of the greatest teams was Liverpool. I'm not sure if they have the chance ever to win the Premier League again.
"Because they have to compete with clubs who have a lot more financial opportunities like Man City and Chelsea plus money that comes from the Champions League. It's something you have to have in mind when you want to have a certain balance in between the league."
The German top flight is viewed by many as a model league - 14 out of 18 clubs were in profit last season, 60% of the players are eligible to play for Germany, youth academies are obligatory and highly-developed and ticket prices are considerably lower than the Premier League - adult prices are as low 13 euros (?11) and average 23 euros (?20) - and there are strict rules on ownership.
Attendances are booming and German clubs are held up as an example of how safe standing areas can work, and a Champions League winner this season is assured.
Seifert insisted however that there was work still to be done.
He added: "We are proud to have two teams in the final but it doesn't mean we have 18 teams on the level. For 10 years the discussion has been why we have no chance to win the Champions League.
"You can't say 'wow - look what we have achieved', but in the last few years we have done more right than wrong."
The centre-back has not played since the Scottish Premier League clash against St Mirren on April 27 with a back injury and admits he will do anything to face the Parkhead club as he hopes to be the first Hibees skipper to hold the trophy aloft in 111 years.
"I am trying everything to be as fit as I can be," said McPake, speaking at the national stadium.
"The jag (injection) was taken last week.
"It is a flare up in my back. I trained the week of the derby (against Hearts) but I which risked doing further damage if I played in that one so I was forced to pull out.
"I am confident in the people I speak to regarding these decisions and when to get a jag and when not, and what is right and what is wrong.
"They give me every possible scenario and I am happy to do that for the football club.
"If there is any way you can play, not just in a final, then you will play.
"At what risk to yourself and the team? That's the decision that has to be made.
"Every player on the planet will tell you, the pain is not the issue, it is if you can get through the game.
"But I am back in training and feeling good at the minute. It is settling to be fair."
While the former Livingston and Coventry defender is confident he will be healthy for the weekend, he admits being sick of recalling last season's 5-1 drubbing in the final by Edinburgh neighbours Hearts.
The 28-year-old, though, does not believe that day will have an effect against the SPL champions, who are looking to do the double.
"I don't know if we can take any positives from last year but we know that can't happen again, that's for sure," he said.
"We know we let everyone down massively which is disappointing.
"It comes up in every interview and to be honest I am sick speaking about how disappointed I was, and it was the same for everyone.
"There will only be four or five who played last year.
"We are a whole new team and a whole new bunch of guys so it doesn't mean anything to players like Ben Williams and Tom Taiwo.
"But we are certainly in better form than last year. We had just escaped relegation and we haven't had that problem this season.
"We are a more confident club, not just a more confident team."
Asked if there was an obsession about the Scottish Cup at Easter Road, given its absence since 1902, McPake said: "I think there is, yes.
"I didn't realise until I came to the club. I wasn't a Hibernian supporter when I was young so I never knew (about cup record) until I came up. Even in the early rounds in the build-up there is a buzz and an excitement.
"We were watching some footage today of the quarter-final against Kilmarnock and the away support at Rugby Park was the best I ever played in front of and that's what the cup brings to this club."
McPake acknowledged the underdog tag which will hang round the Easter Road side on their way to Hampden but flagged up 28-goal Leigh Griffiths as their main hope of causing an upset.
He said: "We are the underdogs. Celtic are the champions, they won the league at a canter, they had a great European campaign and they are a top team with top players.
"But on the other hand, we have the best striker in the league and I have said it all season.
"I have no doubt in my head that Celtic will be as fearful of Leigh Griffiths as we are of any of their players.
"I don't know if we need them to have an off-day but we have to be at our best.
"Against a team like Celtic you can't carry any passengers whereas maybe against other teams you can."
The 55-year-old parted company with the Potters on Tuesday, by mutual consent according to the club, after seven successive years in charge, ending a decade-long association either side of one season spent at Plymouth.
Pulis had come in for increasing criticism from supporters for his style of football, and Coates decided after five years in the Premier League it was time for a change.
"I have enjoyed some wonderful times at Stoke City and nobody was prouder than me when, after 23 years of exile from top-flight football we gained Barclays Premier League status," said the Welshman in a statement.
"Over the past five years we have created history by being the only team in this club's 150 years existence to remain out of the bottom six in top-flight football for five consecutive seasons.
"Within our five-year period in the Barclays Premier League we have featured in four major cup quarter-finals, an FA Cup semi-final and final.
"Further, we have encountered, progressed and reached the later stages of a major European cup competition, only to lose out to Spanish giants Valencia.
"Peter, his family and I have enjoyed every inch of the journey; he has been truly a fantastic man to work with.
"Although I am disappointed I do understand what he means when he says the board feels a need to take the club in a different direction."
Pulis believes he leaves the club in a much healthier position than when he rejoined in 2006, mainly as a result of the progress made once they were promoted.
"Of course, having reached the top you then have to find a way to stay there and develop a strategy for a club that had no infrastructure in place to compete with the top Championship clubs we had left behind, never mind the top Premier League clubs," he added in a statement released by the League Managers' Association.
"During this great run of success on the pitch the club has also been involved in the building and development of a training ground that now compares to any in the Barclays Premier League.
"Also, the Britannia Stadium has been revamped and now hosts and looks after virtually full-houses of the club's great supporters every other week.
"In leaving I am very proud of what we have all achieved.
"My immediate staff led by David Kemp, my backroom staff and all the training ground staff have been absolutely wonderful.
"To the supporters who have, and rightly so, been congratulated for their outstanding support especially at the Britannia and finally to all the players who have worked under me during the seven-year tenure I give my thanks for what has been a wonderful adventure."
Richard Bevan, chief executive of the LMA, praised Pulis for the work he did at Stoke.
"Having joined the club for his second spell as manager in the summer of 2006, Tony achieved eighth place in the Championship with 73 points in his first season and followed that with automatic promotion to the Barclays Premier League the following year," he said.
"Since then the club has comfortably maintained top flight status, finishing no lower than 14th over the five-year period.
"This is an exceptional record, during which Tony has very evidently played a major part both on and off the pitch in executing the vision he shared with the chairman and which has seen a sound infrastructure installed for taking the club and the team forward and the Britannia Stadium developed into a leading venue for Premier League football.
"Overall, the added value Tony has brought to the club is immense and he is to be applauded for a very successful tenure."
Although the speed of Pulis's departure appeared to take many within the club by surprise, the former manager appeared to know the writing was on the wall for him.
In an interview prior to his departure Pulis said he was well aware a vociferous minority were agitating for change.
"There are a lot of people out there who are really pleased. At times the minority make the noise," he told BBC Midlands Today.
"You have to accept criticism. I've taken it before and you have to take it again,
"The fact we've had such a wonderful five seasons gets lost in the wash, especially if you have a bad run.
"When things go wrong it is magnified 10 times more in the Premier League.
"I'm not dismissing them (the fans) because some are genuine supporters who want the club to do well, others do it for different reasons.
"But if you are a little bit affected by criticism the one thing I would say is don't get into management.
"I don't think answering my critics is the answer, the answer is to try to do your best."
Pulis also felt the period of stability in the Premier League had raised expectations unrealistically.
"It gets harder because expectations become more demanding. That is life," he added.
"If you keep giving people things they keep taking it and in the end they want a little bit more.
"We are never going to be in a position to compete with the top five or six clubs unless you have the budget they use.
"I think we've done well at the club with what we've got."
Coates expressed his thanks for the work Pulis had done.
"The last seven years have been some of the best in our long history and I would like to thank Tony for his huge contribution in this," he said in a statement.
"I personally regard him as a great friend and will hugely miss working with him.
"We will now begin the difficult task of searching for a successor to Tony.
"This will be done in private and the club will make no further statement in respect of this search until an appointment is made."
