The draw for the UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round(should City lose Cup final) is July 18th, with the ties to be played on July 31st/Aug 7th. The draw for the UEFA Europa League group stage(should City win FA Cup) is Aug 29th, with the first tie to be played on Sept 18th.
With the EPL starting on the 16th August, then I guess they will curtail some of the pre-season friendlies.
Means if we lose the final, we'll have a couple of genuinely competitive games prior to the PL season starting. Hopefully we'll start off nicely sharpened up.
Isnt there likely to be some bloody good teams in that first qualifying pot? common perception is they'll be minnows - like us - but didnt someone list last year's and there were some proper titans in there.
1st qual rd: 80 teams 2nd qual rd: The 40 winners + 40 entering here = 80 3rd qual rd: The 40 winners + 18 entering here (incl us if we lose final) = 58 Playoff rd: The 29 winners + 33 entering here = 62 Group stage: The 31 winners of playoff matches + 17 entering here (incl Cup winners - Everton will get this if we lose final) = 48 Knockout stage: 24 from the groups + the 8 3rd-placed teams from the Champions League groups = 32
Some teams that were involved at the 3rd qualifying round stage this season: Udinese Trabzonspor Sevilla Brugge St Etienne New Order Tears for Fears Stuttgart Standard Liege (I have have got a little sidetracked halfway through.)
With Arsenal in Champions League don't we go straight in to the groups on the Cup Winners slot? Also do we get an extra place as Chelsea were holders?
Yes, well the third qualifying pot, and yet more drop in to the play off stage - those who lose in the champions league qualifiers. They're seeded, so we should avoid any big clubs in the qualifying stages, but with the champions league spot as a prize at the end I bet a lot of those big clubs who usually don't give a **** and play kids in qualifiers will take it far more seriously and the groups will be packed out with more properly good sides (I made a list of those who failed to even make it as far as the group stages and there were some real giants amongst it). It's a good year to be in it! I imagine it will be taken very seriously by one and all, all the way from the first kick off for once.
if Chelsea win the champs league, do arse move into the euro league and if so what happens to us (cant believe we are talking about being in Europe)
No. The fifth place team gets it if Arse win the Cup, and the final losers get the lowest slot in the English FA's food chain. Why would the 12/13 competition have any relevance to the 14/15 one?
No, only cup winners go straight into the group. If the runners up qualify the lowest (league cup) qualification drops to the FA cup runner up, the league cup winners (or 6th in the league) get the 5th place premier league qualification, and 5th place in the premier league goes straight in to the group. And the country only gets an extra place if the holders fail to qualify for europe by any other means. They won it last season anyway so it wouldn't apply to this season regardless.
Only if Chelsea fail to finish in the top 4, which I don't know if that's even possible (not looked at table)
An away game on the 7th august with my birthday on the 8th would be the best excuse for a foreign piss up ever. Since starting to watch city I've had 3 dream matches, fa cup semi, fa cup final and an away game in Europe. We have come along way from those days at the bottom of the league facing non league football!
So normally we get 3 places, 2 cup winners and 5th in Prem, Man City won the LC and losers don't get in so its FA Cup winners and 5th & 6th this year. If Arsenal are in top 4 the only scenarios are, We win the Cup we are in the Groups and 5th/6th are in qualifiers. Arsenal win the Cup 5th are in the Groups and City/6th are in the qualifiers. Is this correct?
Here's the list of clubs I posted awhile ago that failed to progress through qualifying round 3 and the playoff stage in this seasons europa league. Sporting Braga Spartak Moscow Besiktas Feyenoord Nice Stuttgart Udinese Club Brugge Saint Etienne Bursaspor Vitesse Sparta Prague Lech Poznan FC Utrecht Airbus UK Some handy teams there that didn't even make it as far as the group stage.
Excuse my ignorance and not-being-arsed-to-look-it-up-ness, but what's the league format? In previous years they didnt play home and away for each team did they? ie you played some teams home and some away. Is that still the case? Knowing our luck we'd get Inter or a Benelux team and f**king play them at home. I'd be gutted about that. Nice would be, err....
