A great way to ensure that heaven-forbid if any of Europe's finest fall out of the top 2/3/4 in their leagues all will not be lost. Call me a cynic!
Maybe but at least if they do fall out of this new restructured Champions League, they won't automatically be given the chance to give the Europa League a shot.
Ridiculous decision. Seven teams from one league is unfair. They should be looking to expand the competition across Europe and include more countries. Spread the wealth. Fair play and all that UEFA.
I don't see how it would work, as it would go on for too long. The gaps in between stages are for international breaks, cup games and normal league games. 64 teams would see more group games or a longer knockout round.
I don't see how it would work, as it would go on for too long. The gaps in between stages are for international breaks, cup games and normal league games. 64 teams would see more group games or a longer knockout round.
I think the idea is to have a longer qualification set up in pre-season.
To shorten the competition they could always go back to two legged ties for the whole competition but UEFA may be worried that some of the 'elite' clubs may get knocked out early.
It won't work. Unless they are able to increase what the TV companies pay in total the clubs that are already in the CL would have to accept less to allow weaker teams to enter.
If the CL clubs are getting c. £28m and the Europa League teams are getting c. £2.2m unless Man Utd are going to get less so that Fulham get more (the two clubs in the BBC report) it will just be shunned by the top teams.
In the end the only things that will be approved are those that guarantee the massive European clubs more money or a longer guaranteed spell in the tournament. Two groups of six before the knock out stage with seeding that ensures that the second group stage is basically the same 32 that enter it now would probably be approved. However they would need to have a follow up competition for the clubs that fail to get through otherwise there will be a big club out of Europe completely by the end of October.
It will only work, financially, if those that fail to get through the first group stage are paid virtually nothing. This will, potentially, expose the super clubs to much less than they need each season, so it will struggle to get the votes it needs.
Platini is mistaken if he thinks that he, or UEFA, are making the decisions about the competitions they run.
What I can see happening is having the same 32 teams in it, with some jigging to ensure that the big clubs are never allowed to be replaced by smaller ones, with them all playing more games in Europe and fewer games domestically. This is less of an issue in England where the FAPL generates a lot of revenue, but I can see the top sides agreeing to reduce their domestic leagues by four teams, taking the money those four teams would have got and playing another eight games in the CL - say another group stage played on a Saturday.
In the end the big European sides need their domestic leagues because if you assume that we are talking about teams in England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France and a couple of others there are a total of 8 trophies open to them (ignoring the FA Cup and the League Cup and the European equivalent) that means that eight of them (or 7 if the CL is won by a domestic Champion) can win a title. If they all played for the one European League there would be teams used to winning their Title regularly being out of it before Christmas. Can you imagine the fans of Man Utd, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan etc. accepting that. Also the super clubs could then go decades without winning a title. That would be too much for them to risk to walk away from their domestic leagues, I believe.
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Still, Liverpool may finally get a chance of being in the CL again now!
If the CL clubs are getting c. £28m and the Europa League teams are getting c. £2.2m unless Man Utd are going to get less so that Fulham get more (the two clubs in the BBC report) it will just be shunned by the top teams.
In the end the only things that will be approved are those that guarantee the massive European clubs more money or a longer guaranteed spell in the tournament. Two groups of six before the knock out stage with seeding that ensures that the second group stage is basically the same 32 that enter it now would probably be approved. However they would need to have a follow up competition for the clubs that fail to get through otherwise there will be a big club out of Europe completely by the end of October.
It will only work, financially, if those that fail to get through the first group stage are paid virtually nothing. This will, potentially, expose the super clubs to much less than they need each season, so it will struggle to get the votes it needs.
Platini is mistaken if he thinks that he, or UEFA, are making the decisions about the competitions they run.
What I can see happening is having the same 32 teams in it, with some jigging to ensure that the big clubs are never allowed to be replaced by smaller ones, with them all playing more games in Europe and fewer games domestically. This is less of an issue in England where the FAPL generates a lot of revenue, but I can see the top sides agreeing to reduce their domestic leagues by four teams, taking the money those four teams would have got and playing another eight games in the CL - say another group stage played on a Saturday.
In the end the big European sides need their domestic leagues because if you assume that we are talking about teams in England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France and a couple of others there are a total of 8 trophies open to them (ignoring the FA Cup and the League Cup and the European equivalent) that means that eight of them (or 7 if the CL is won by a domestic Champion) can win a title. If they all played for the one European League there would be teams used to winning their Title regularly being out of it before Christmas. Can you imagine the fans of Man Utd, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan etc. accepting that. Also the super clubs could then go decades without winning a title. That would be too much for them to risk to walk away from their domestic leagues, I believe.
Just don't call it the "Champions" League.