[Archived] Uefa Europa League

[Bobby G]

UEFA has just announced changes to the second tier competition. Other than the name change and the desire to sell the TV rights centrally, I dont see how they can increase the prestige personally.

48 teams into 12 groups, home and away with top two joined in the knock-out rounds by the 3rd placed teams in the Champions League...

Thoughts?

I personally believe that the only way to increase the prestige across both competitions would be that the CL be limited to the league winner as well as cup winner, and then the second tier cup includes teams finishing 2nd till 6th possibly in each league, and money be distributed accordingly, like the old days when there was little to seperate the 3 continental cups.

It wont happen, but it would bring back the truly prestigious feeling to European club football.

[T4E]

Firstly I'm pleased they've changed the group stage setup, the way it was before was daft. Preusmably it'll now be 6 games, 3 home 3 away?

I can't see the UEFA Cup ever seeming prestigious again. The only way to do it would probably be for it to be a Champions League qualifying tournament. Perhaps the top 4 clubs could go in to the CL, 5th and 6th in to the UEFA along with the two cup winners. Play 3 knock out rounds then all those still standing go in to the CL along with the others.

[philipl]

Let's be practical, the opportunities for Rovers to qualify for Europe have been significantly cut by the recent changes:

- no more Intertoto so forget about coming 8th in the league

- losing cup finalists don't make Europe so tough if we play an inspired Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.

- fewer clubs going into the Europa than in the UEFA (and what is not reported is the little countries' qualifications have been protected)

- if we come 4th, the route into the CL Group stages is an unseeded pre-qualification hell.

All these are massive changes for the worse.

[Bobby G]

Id rather European competition regaining their prestigious and be difficult to qualify for than the team finishing 10th in a league and winning the fair play league qualifying or even more ludicrouos backdoor methods.

Even the CL for that matter is a joke, when the 4th place team in a league can qualify.

[philipl]

Id rather European competition regaining their prestigious and be difficult to qualify for than the team finishing 10th in a league and winning the fair play league qualifying or even more ludicrouos backdoor methods.

Even the CL for that matter is a joke, when the 4th place team in a league can qualify.

I would rather have stuck with the European Cup, Cup-Winners Cup and UEFA Cup knock-out formats but seeing as we have what we have I object to life being made more difficult for the Rovers.

The Fairplay stuff survives by the way.

[gumboots]

I would rather have stuck with the European Cup, Cup-Winners Cup and UEFA Cup knock-out formats but seeing as we have what we have I object to life being made more difficult for the Rovers.

The Fairplay stuff survives by the way.

That then is the most ridiculous change or lack of. It puts qualification more at the whim of refs and officials and the attitude of officials and media towards certain clubs than anything else. Yes, you don't end up at the top just because refs like you but it does make a huge difference to teams who are close to top.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

In my opinion the Champions League qualifiers should be the league winner & the FA Cup winner. It would make the most famous domestic cup more important again, increase crowds and teams would play their best teams knowing they can get into the Champions League.

Also include a Premier League playoff winner into the Champions League - This would be similar system to the Championship play-off but would feature 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th in Premier League. The winner gets a Champions League spot, the others go into the UEFA Cup.

People won't agree with me but anything is better than what we've got now! The Champions League is full of teams who aren't champions, the UEFA Cup includes failures from the Champions League and hardly any of the best teams as they are all in the Champions League.

[Amo]

Meh. European football is a just a capitalist sham now.

FOUR teams qualify for the Champions League? They should keep it to the top two at the very most.

As for the Uefa Cup, I'd have kept it a straight knock-out tournament without all the group ######.

[Brfcrule1]

am finding it hard to work all this out does this mean that less teams will be in uefa europa cup than before?. What about the winners of the FA Cup/Carling cup will they be in uefa europa cup?. If the winners of the fa/carling cup are one of the top 4 in champs lge will the uefa europa cup go to the next best placed teams in the premiership?. I know they say there will be less teams but how will it work out in terms of league placings. Also they did say a long time before the intertoto cup would be scrapped so nothing new there!. If we win the carling cup surely we would be entered into the uefa europa cup?. As PI said on the official site it is our best chance of getting into europe now if that was taken away that would be bad could also lead to departures esp if we don't quite make it would make it a shambles of a competition!.

[Mr. E]

Let's be practical, the opportunities for Rovers to qualify for Europe have been significantly cut by the recent changes:

- no more Intertoto so forget about coming 8th in the league

- losing cup finalists don't make Europe so tough if we play an inspired Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.

- fewer clubs going into the Europa than in the UEFA (and what is not reported is the little countries' qualifications have been protected)

- if we come 4th, the route into the CL Group stages is an unseeded pre-qualification hell.

All these are massive changes for the worse.

What?? WHen did they make these changes??

If it's true than anyone who's not a massively rich club can forget about Europe.

[Tris]

What?? WHen did they make these changes??

If it's true than anyone who's not a massively rich club can forget about Europe.

We could up sticks and relocate to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Champions League every season guaranteed. And it would really p!ss Clive Tyldesley off.

[BuckyRover]

Maybe the tournament could be expanded even further, into Asia

They could host a game on Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu hill in Thailand

[jim mk2]

I would rather have stuck with the European Cup, Cup-Winners Cup and UEFA Cup knock-out formats

Abso - blooming - lutely.

I loved the old European footy nights : UEFA on Tuesdays, European Cup Wednesdays, Cup Winners on Thursdays. Big games, prestigious occasions, knockout football, unknown players and teams, exciting. All spoilt in the name of TV and money.

Like everything else.

[thenodrog]

We could up sticks and relocate to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Champions League every season guaranteed. And it would really p!ss Clive Tyldesley off.

Please tell me you had to google that spelling!

[T4E]

We could up sticks and relocate to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Champions League every season guaranteed. And it would really p!ss Clive Tyldesley off.

He'd probably start referring to us as "Seba".

[Billy Castell]

Lipstick on a pig here.

What should happen is this:

European Cup: All the CHAMPIONS of all the European Leagues in a straight knock out contest. Seeding may give the big leagues a chance to skip one or two rounds.

UEFA Cup: 2nd-5th placed teams, and FA Cup winners in a knockout cup.

UEFA Shield: 6th-8th placed teams, Knock out cup.

[brfcs5359]

All this nostalgia for three old comps that did not justify themselves. You could play part time window cleaners in the old European Cup right up the semi-final whilst inb the UEFA Cup you more than likely had horrendous trips to Italy, Spain, Germany against the 'real champions of that season' to get to the Quarter final. And the CWC was a farce. You could end up playing some swedish insurance salesman in the final. All the cream was in the UEFA Cup and all the crap the other two.

The current format is better. It guarantee's, certainly the major leagues, that seasons league champion entry in the season they are successful in (not the following season when players have been bought and sold).

I agree that perhaps the Champions League could start off seeded, but with all entrants. The result being the successful play CL and the unsuccessful Europa League. That would keep it current season to a degree.

Otherwise top 4 CL next 4 (inc FA Cup) Europa Lge.

[brfcs5359]

Malmo in the European Cup Final????

What chance now??? Were they really the 2nd best club in Europe??

[Ronin]

Lipstick on a pig here.

What should happen is this:

European Cup: All the CHAMPIONS of all the European Leagues in a straight knock out contest. Seeding may give the big leagues a chance to skip one or two rounds.

UEFA Cup: 2nd-5th placed teams, and FA Cup winners in a knockout cup.

UEFA Shield: 6th-8th placed teams, Knock out cup.

Totally agree with that. Reinstate the European Cup as Champions only with the rest that would've gone into the Champs League into the UEFA Cup. That could be the only way to add any kind of prestige to the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

[BiggusLaddus]

All this nostalgia for three old comps that did not justify themselves. You could play part time window cleaners in the old European Cup right up the semi-final whilst inb the UEFA Cup you more than likely had horrendous trips to Italy, Spain, Germany against the 'real champions of that season' to get to the Quarter final. And the CWC was a farce. You could end up playing some swedish insurance salesman in the final. All the cream was in the UEFA Cup and all the crap the other two.

The current format is better. It guarantee's, certainly the major leagues, that seasons league champion entry in the season they are successful in (not the following season when players have been bought and sold).

I agree that perhaps the Champions League could start off seeded, but with all entrants. The result being the successful play CL and the unsuccessful Europa League. That would keep it current season to a degree.

Otherwise top 4 CL next 4 (inc FA Cup) Europa Lge.

No the current system is far, far worse. It has resulted in a closed shop at the top of every league table and has totally destroyed any form of competition. Where is the glory in finishing 5th? Who came 5th in the 100m in Beijing, more to the point who cares?

And what exactly is wrong with Malmo being in a european final? Or Marsielle, or Red Star Belgrade, or Benfica or any of the other clubs who have now been frozen out because they were not at the top 5 yrs ago.

[bazza]

Maybe the tournament could be expanded even further, into Asia

They could host a game on Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu hill in Thailand

That's not in Thailand. It is a village in New Zealand. Believe it or not I learned to say it 30 years ago and still can. Whether or not I pronounce it OK is another matter. Maybe Ryan Nelsen could judge.

[BuckyRover]

Apologies. I got my long place names mixed up.

This is how Bangkok is (officially) pronounced "Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphop

nopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharn

amornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit"

[Ronin]

Apologies. I got my long place names mixed up.

This is how Bangkok is (officially) pronounced "Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphop

nopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharn

amornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit"

Blimey! That'd be some score in Scrabble!