New Champions League Format

[blues-clues]

New plans to drop UEFA league and double the teams in the Champions league being mooted by Platini.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20523405

Be embarrassing if Liverpool could still not get in it with 7 spots up for grabs!

[Chinners]

Total crock of shite ... nice sneaky way of getting the European superleague they wanted ... Expect the 'excitement' of the Prem to deminish season on season if this comes in.

[john@staustell]

I'm a big fan of only having Champions in the Champions League, a UEFA cup for also rans and a Cup-Winners Cup for cup winners. Hang on, wait a minute................................

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Total crock of shite ... nice sneaky way of getting the European superleague they wanted ... Expect the 'excitement' of the Prem to deminish season on season if this comes in.

My thoughts exactly. It's all about boosting the power of UEFA whilst simultaneously diminishing the power of the domestic leagues, and nothing whatsoever to do with what's good for European football.

[Moonchesteri]

Total crock of shite ... nice sneaky way of getting the European superleague they wanted ... Expect the 'excitement' of the Prem to deminish season on season if this comes in.

My thoughts exactly. It's all about boosting the power of UEFA whilst simultaneously diminishing the power of the domestic leagues, and nothing whatsoever to do with what's good for European football.

Sad but true I'm afraid.

[dazby]

I actually think its a good idea in that it solves the issues of the Europa League. I haven't seen the format yet though. I would expect a lot of seeding to take place, to stop those upstart clubs from taking money from the old guard.

[gillie]

The Champions league just is'nt what it say's on the tin.

[sandman]

I personally believe that the league Champions from every European country and winners of their equivalent of the FA Cup should go into the Champions League and that it should be purely a knock out competition. If the same club wins both then they should hold a play off for 2nd in the league & cup runners up in their national stadium.

[Beefymcfc]

Is this a pre-cursor to a summer based tournament prior to the WC in Qatar?

There is no way you could accommodate a 64 team format alongside the existing leagues, they'd have to do a pre-tournament prior to the season kicking off which would, in effect, create a summer tournament.

[spiny]

You may have a point. I heard top Spanish clubs want all EUFA countries to adopt a 16 team league (they would say that wouldnt they?).

This could mean an enforced winter break for the World Cup and EUFA Cup to bring into line with African Cup of Nations and see the Champions League morf into a spring summer competition to include nordic countries and former USSR states. EPL and Bundesliga are the current richest Leagues and would be the biggest losers. Dominant clubs in other leagues stand to gain.

[carl_feedthegoat]

I actually think its a good idea in that it solves the issues of the Europa League. I haven't seen the format yet though. I would expect a lot of seeding to take place, to stop those upstart clubs from taking money from the old guard.

Shocker

It is actually the most stupidest idea, I thought that platini et al couldnt get any more stupid but they have surpassed themselves yet again.

The old format was the real one,since then it has become a farce,fuckign champions league is a joke competition in all reality as its not made up of champions.
The nearest they ever got to a champions league was this year.......in our group.

[sandman]

It is actually the most stupidest idea

On the topic of most stupidest, shouldnt that be most stupid?

[Crossie]

It blurs the lines between club and country. It would basically just be a yearly European Championship.


Be better to go the other way and have 2 clubs per country in the A tournament and 2 or 3 for a B tournament. Each country can decide how their clubs can qualify.

The current format sucks cheese dick that's for sure.

[Dameerto]

If they think they can get more sponsorship by expanding the Champions' League than by leaving the two comps as they are now then they'll change it - it's all they're interested in.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Another way to ensure the bigger clubs never miss the gravy train. Even Liverpool would have a chance.

[carl_feedthegoat]

It is actually the most stupidest idea

On the topic of most stupidest, shouldnt that be most stupid?

You tell me.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

What a fucking shite. Current Champions League is already joke contest cause....well most of the teams on the competition aren't Champions at all.

[Ted Hughes]

What a fucking shite. Current Champions League is already joke contest cause....well most of the teams on the competition aren't Champions at all.

So basically, the so called 'fair play' rules aren't going to work & keep the old guard at the top as initially hoped.

Other clubs who haven't 'overspent' are still catching them anyway & they are in big danger of losing their 'elite' status.

So, the fat controllers will hand out free rides on the gravy train, as the people who designed and built it & put up the prices in first class so nobody could get in, can no longer afford to buy a ticket.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

What a fucking shite. Current Champions League is already joke contest cause....well most of the teams on the competition aren't Champions at all.

So basically, the so called 'fair play' rules aren't going to work & keep the old guard at the top as initially hoped.

Other clubs who haven't 'overspent' are still catching them anyway & they are in big danger of losing their 'elite' status.

So, the fat controllers will hand out free rides on the gravy train, as the people who designed and built it & put up the prices in first class so nobody could get in, can no longer afford to buy a ticket.

That's pretty much the way I see it.

[dazby]

Come on guys, do you really think the Europa is currently a worthy competition? We currently have a thread that suggests it's not. Yes it's great to hope that only the Champions and the Cup winners would be in the elite comps, but that's never going to get support given the current system is it?

When we were shit we would have given anything to be in Europe. This proposal gives more clubs the opportunity and should spread the wealth a bit wider, which was what we used to be all about.