Europa.

[Roo]

The many vested interests would never allow it, but the European Cup/CL should become an elite competition again where admission is for the respective league champions and holders of the trophy only. You might argue that the Belarussian champions will always be weaker than the second placed Spanish or English side, but that is mainly due to how the present structure preserves the status of the weathiest clubs. In the past teams like Malmo, Steaua Bucharest, Eintract Frankfurt, Celtic and many others have have punched above their weight. It's better that as champions of their league, they have a chance to rise to those heights again, than a team who are 4th (or even 5th or 6th as we have seen) in their league, 20 points or more off the pace of the champions, being crowned the best in Europe.

Luke, I completely see where you're coming from with this, with the "best playing the best" but the problem is that this new "winners"competition would be weaker.

can you imagine the look on the faces of the Man United's/City's and Barca's/Real M's, if this was announced and they were told that they'd no longer be facing the likes of the arsenal's, chelsea's, bayern's etc??!! - And being told instead that they'll be facing the sides you've mentioned? The elite competition wouldn't actually be elite at all.

 

[seanDCFC]

UEFA having a lack of continuity in the rules of their competitions is relevant - and that's before bringing up the subject of the Europa league being a loser's lottery.



They don't have the change the structure at all, as teams are allocated different seedings.



Kicking out Fenerbahce for breaking UEFA rules freed up a space in the tournament, so there are three solutions: give someone a bye, have a lottery to re-instate someone to the competition (as they did in the 2000 FA Cup when Man Utd were busy making money elsewhere), or give special dispensation to whichever club in whichever league missed out (in this case, Spurs) rather than placate a team that shouldn't be there or reward a co-efficient that had failed to keep match-fixing in check.

Yes they would have to change the structure as they would have a odd number of teams.

 

[Dier Hard]

This is a collection of very sensible changes to the present format and being sensible they will of course have no chance of being embraced by UEFA.

Cheers Spurf, agree though, UEFA would never embrace it.

SOS, really like that idea mate

The problem for me is that even though we already get 4 places... so we should!! we're the best league in the world and I actually think we need more.

There are teams that finish between 5-8th in our league, such as Everton for example, who are a damn good side and have been for years. Yet other than the 1 season they qualified like us, they've had no chance as they are fighting against clubs with more spending power. I just feel that it's unfair that teams like everton, who are actually capable of beating one of the qualifying sides from Germany such as Borussia M'Bach for example, are no where near qualifying at the moment. Then there's us, who finished in the top 4 and still didn't make it! . something needs to change IMO, as there's a lot of quality in our league which is also suffering due to the spending of the likes of City and Chelsea. With United included in that top 3 too, that's almost the top 3 nailed on. It's going to get very boring. At least when it was "the sky 4" (United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal) there was only 1 team with the ridiculous spending power, meaning it was easier for other clubs to cause an upset.

it's a statement that I know others will say "it's not fair on other countries", but it's my opinion I'm afraid.

I just think it's wrong that a club like Celtic, who if were to come to the prem, would probably finish mid table. Yet they are now in a situation where they should walk their domestic league and will then qualify. - And there's sides such as Spurs and Everton to name two, who struggle to get a look in.

Cheers Rooo

Yeah agree ours is the best by a mile mate and don't get me wrong, like you say the likes of Everton can compete with most champions of other leagues but I still think the format should be Champions vs Champions. The junior competition will showcase our strength as in theory, our clubs SHOULD reach the latter stages of that competition with ease.

Celtic wouldn't even get mid table in the Championship in my opinion, the SPL is a poor excuse for football and Elite competition will prove (theoretically).

 

[Spurf]

Cheers Spurf, agree though, UEFA would never embrace it.



Cheers Rooo

Yeah agree ours is the best by a mile mate and don't get me wrong, like you say the likes of Everton can compete with most champions of other leagues but I still think the format should be Champions vs Champions. The junior competition will showcase our strength as in theory, our clubs SHOULD reach the latter stages of that competition with ease.

Celtic wouldn't even get mid table in the Championship in my opinion, the SPL is a poor excuse for football and Elite competition will prove (theoretically).

Celtic's present income equates at present to a club like Blackpool both around 51 million BUT given their level of support once exposed to the SKY money they would soon be up with teams like Everton and in time would be able to compete with the very top. Their stadium with a capacity 60,800 is second only to Man U.

Despite that they still managed to beat Barca.

 

[notsosmartspur]

I know and I realise that it won't happen again. That particular horse bolted 20+ years ago and is many miles away now, but Spurf's thread is about what you would like to see happen. If by chance it did, there would be some levelling of the playing field over time as a team regularly appearing in the European Cup would become a more attractive commodity than one that wasn't and the increased wealth which resulted would make them more competitive.

Personally, I find the present CL format dull until the latter stages. Even then it doesn't always produce excellence, but dour tactical battles. How to stop Barcelona playing is the usual theme.

It might sound like sour grapes, but how can Chelsea fans derive the pleasure they should from winning the CL when they played crabby, defensive football to win it and were able to abandon any pretence of being the best team in their own league at an early stage to finish 6th?!

Yo could get rid of home and away legs. Its a knockout comp, you take the draw as you get it, home OR away, that would put an end to dull first legs of bus-park football by the away team.

 

[Roo]

I know and I realise that it won't happen again. That particular horse bolted 20+ years ago and is many miles away now, but Spurf's thread is about what you would like to see happen. If by chance it did, there would be some levelling of the playing field over time as a team regularly appearing in the European Cup would become a more attractive commodity than one that wasn't and the increased wealth which resulted would make them more competitive.

Personally, I find the present CL format dull until the latter stages. Even then it doesn't always produce excellence, but dour tactical battles. How to stop Barcelona playing is the usual theme.

It might sound like sour grapes, but how can Chelsea fans derive the pleasure they should from winning the CL when they played crabby, defensive football to win it and were able to abandon any pretence of being the best team in their own league at an early stage to finish 6th?!

o fair enough, I misread.

I see what you're saying about Chelsea, but on the whole, they were still a very decent side, despite finishing 6th.

 

[remembercolinlee]

If it were down to me :

1) the champions league would be for champions only
2) reintroduce the european cup winners cup which would help make the FA cup a more respected competition
3) put the 2nd, 3rd and 4th league clubs plus carling cup winners into the UEFA Cup

Make all 3 competitions a 2 legged knockout competition

Then maybe this bollocks of being a top four club is everything and mickey mouse tophies crap will die out...

But as the money men at uefa and sky etc will never let this happen footie will continue to climb up it's own arse...baa humbug

 

[redwhiteandermblue]

Drop the Europa completely (this minute, if possible). Expand the CL by maybe one team per major league. As Spurf says, make it regional--but you may as well make it by league when possible. So something like: top four PL teams play each other; fifth has to go play somewhere else. It would add to the fun and the gates, since you'd have a second, top four, PL competition in six games. As YV says, drop the round robin crap. It's tedious and rewards the better clubs. It would also keep the number of games the same with more teams playing.

My second choice would be to bring back the Cup Winner's Cup. The most important thing is to not have two vast European competitions. The second isn't worth the candle. As it stands, teams that take the Europa seriously are probably unwise, and those that don't undoubtedly look a bit lame.

 

[The Mighty Thor]

They're scrapping it in 2015 and having an extended CL. Love it.

 

[OnlyOneDB]

Is that official like? Link...

 

[KingHotspur]

Hope this is true but it devalues it even more in the meantime.


Winning a competition that will only run from 2009-2015 doesn't seem worth winning.

 

[The Mighty Thor]

On CNN tonight OnlyOneDB so no link for you. Platini has confirmed that it's being given strong consideration.

I don't totally agree with you King but I see what you mean. For me the EL cannot continue in this form because there are too many teams in it.

 

[OnlyOneDB]

I know its probably the wrong opinion, but I've always thought that champions league should mean something

and advocated that by champions it should only be for actually winning something that contenders should be allowed in

So CL places for PL champs, FA cup champs and even Carling cup champs + additional place for 2nd in the league

Then Europa or whatever they want to call it for 3rd & 4th, and losing finalist in both cups

One would hope that ALL clubs would take ALL competitions seriously then!!

Oh and Thor me old Norse God mucka, its been reported on the beeb as under consideration, but that means bollix all TBH, so get yourself back down to New Zealand and sort out those Johnson Brothers

 

[The Mighty Thor]

Eh DB? I don't understand that last sentence but I take it that's a polite way of telling me to eff off. Well normally there's no smoke without fire and I'll bet that it happens. Maybe there was more on CNN than on the beeb but I like your thoughts on the changes.

 

[OnlyOneDB]

Eh DB? I don't understand that last sentence but I take it that's a polite way of telling me to eff off. Well normally there's no smoke without fire and I'll bet that it happens. Maybe there was more on CNN than on the beeb but I like your thoughts on the changes.

Nah mate, if I wanted to say that I'd say it!!

Just thought that there was more revealed and wanted to get the skinny, but sounds like it was just the same bravura bull-puckey from Platini to try and drum some interest up in all European competition

 

[The Mighty Thor]

I doubt that,it's because there's no interest in it that they want to change it. Anyway this thread is open and let's see what happens to the Europa idea in the coming weeks etc. Meanwhile I'll wait for the next CNN bulletin. Remember you heard it first here folks.

 

[Moorpheus19]

I know its probably the wrong opinion, but I've always thought that champions league should mean something

and advocated that by champions it should only be for actually winning something that contenders should be allowed in

So CL places for PL champs, FA cup champs and even Carling cup champs + additional place for 2nd in the league

Then Europa or whatever they want to call it for 3rd & 4th, and losing finalist in both cups

One would hope that ALL clubs would take ALL competitions seriously then!!

Oh and Thor me old Norse God mucka, its been reported on the beeb as under consideration, but that means bollix all TBH, so get yourself back down to New Zealand and sort out those Johnson Brothers

Yeah I'd go for that.

But a simple way to make the EL more appealing would be for the winners to get a place in the next CL.

 

[OnlyOneDB]

Yeah I'd go for that.

But a simple way to make the EL more appealing would be for the winners to get a place in the next CL.

See I'd agree with that, and it could be all encompassing, so we could still have what I'd suggest plus IF the EL and/or CL winning teams were in the PL no ****ing about, they go through to the CL AND the teams who finish where I suggest do too!!

If that makes no sense, feck off I'm lashed

 

[Ghoddle10]

We'll see happens but IF Platini is thinking of an extended CL to replace the EL, I think it's a brilliant idea by him and applaud it whole-heartedly.

It would give teams like us a much better chance of CL football, presumably. Naturally the devil would be in the detail, but well done Michel for coming up with this good suggestion.

 

[Spurm]

OnlyOneDB's suggestion above is brilliant imo. Winners of domestic cups and leagues for the Champs league. Why has no-one thought of that before?
If a team does the double/treble then give it to 3rd/4th.