Count Macula
Nov 30 2007, 06:58 AM
Uefa is set to revamp the Champions League on Friday with the top three clubs in the Premier League qualifying for the group stages from 2009. Under the plans, the fourth-placed side will now face a play-off against a team from another of Europe's leagues. The Scottish champions will also go straight into the group stages but the runners-up face two qualifying rounds. Previously in England, the top two sides qualified by right and the next two joined the third qualifying round. It is likely the fourth-placed Premier League side will face a tougher play-off compared to playing in the third qualifying round of the Champions League against weaker opponents. In Scotland, the champions have previously needed to come through a qualifying round.This will also apply to the Spanish and Italian leagues.
Bub.
Nov 30 2007, 07:04 AM
I dont think it really makes a difference, the teams that finish 3rd & 4th always draw weak teams from europe so either way they still gna end up in the group stages. Only everton lost recently out of the english clubs mainly because they are on par with the weaker european teams
urbanlegend
Nov 30 2007, 08:36 AM
All I can say is that it's completely bullshit and that once again, the English get the better treatment in football. UEFA and FIFA are really becoming pathetic excuses for governing bodies... they are worse than politicians.
changing_my_display_name
Nov 30 2007, 08:46 AM
QUOTE(bubmeister @ Nov 30 2007, 07:04 AM)
I dont think it really makes a difference, the teams that finish 3rd & 4th always draw weak teams from europe so either way they still gna end up in the group stages. Only everton lost recently out of the english clubs mainly because they are on par with the weaker european teams
Yeah, Villarreal is a weak club...
_________
Nov 30 2007, 08:55 AM
QUOTE(watching @ Nov 30 2007, 01:46 PM)
Yeah, Villarreal is a weak club...
It was just bubmeister showing how impartial he can be when talking about rivals of his club. But I'm pretty sure he was just being facetious.
ForzaItalia2006
Nov 30 2007, 10:36 AM
This doesn't just apply to the EPL. The rule about the first 3 going directly into the CL without qualification also applies to Spain and Italy.
Bub.
Nov 30 2007, 11:08 AM
QUOTE(watching @ Nov 30 2007, 03:46 PM)
Yeah, Villarreal is a weak club...
QUOTE(Dean. @ Nov 30 2007, 03:55 PM)
It was just bubmeister showing how impartial he can be when talking about rivals of his club. But I'm pretty sure he was just being facetious.
I was actually just having a dig at everton
FlippinEck
Nov 30 2007, 12:12 PM
I would have done away with the 4th spots in italy, spain, england, its the champions league afterall and letting in 3 is enough as it is. Its good that they finally give scotland an automatic spot but the 2nd place team should only have to play 1 qualifier surely... its about time they changed it up but this could have been done better
dreamlander
Nov 30 2007, 12:41 PM
Another important change is that they are changing it so that 40 (I think) of the lower leagues will enter a preliminary round where 5 of those teams will be guaranteed Champions League Group football. They wont have to play an EPL or Serie A, or La Liga or Bundesliga team or any side from the other top leagues. This will suck in the short term, but in the long run it will at last start to give the loer leagues a chance to develop and sample real European Football!
The 92nd Fish
Nov 30 2007, 01:16 PM
QUOTE
The Champions League final will move from its midweek slot to Saturday from 2010, Uefa has announced. The first Saturday evening final will be at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.
Qualification will also change, with 22 teams qualifying based on their league standing, and a two-part tournament for the remaining 10 places.
Five of them will be disputed by 15 teams from leading nations, and teams from Uefa's 40 other member nations will compete for the last five places.
Format changes also mean that three Premier League teams will qualify automatically for the group stage, as will the champions of Scotland.
But the fourth-placed Premier League side will face a stiffer test in the qualifying round, as they are more likely to face stronger opponents than under the current format.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Loving the Saturday final idea, it's just much better for a final, everyone can watch including children and it allows a long build up throughout the day, like we had with the Rugby World Cup final.
Isabel
Nov 30 2007, 01:45 PM
I'm all for the lower leagues getting more of a chance. It's better to do it now than let the gap increase but the league's quality will take a hit for it.
And wow, that'll suck.
urbanlegend
Nov 30 2007, 02:33 PM
QUOTE(ForzaItalia2006 @ Nov 30 2007, 10:36 AM)
This doesn't just apply to the EPL. The rule about the first 3 going directly into the CL without qualification also applies to Spain and Italy.
I just learned this now. Great to hear that the 3 big guys are in
Still, I am not sure if I agree or not, but it looks promising. I'll have to do some further research.
Yoda.
Nov 30 2007, 02:40 PM
Im not for the saturday CL final game.
I always think the CL is a mid week thing and it should always be like that.
The build up the big game is great.
If they move the game from Night to day then i'll be very surprised.
urbanlegend
Nov 30 2007, 06:49 PM
I prefer to have the night game. And as nice as it would be to have it on the weekend, the weekday is just the tradition.
Cuore
Dec 1 2007, 06:15 AM
This is good, I suppose, this means we could see Milan, Juventus, Roma and Internazionale all in the Champions League.
Wengermania
Dec 2 2007, 03:40 PM
im for the the final on a saturday but it has to be at night
Carlo Gambino
Dec 2 2007, 08:56 PM
I like this idea, but whats the motive behind it? If theres no real benefits then why change it, im pretty sure i havnt heard any complaints about the midweek final...
Matieo10
Dec 2 2007, 09:26 PM
I want the final on Wednesday like it's already been, no change...
There's Only One United
Dec 2 2007, 09:32 PM
QUOTE(Mucho Lucho @ Dec 3 2007, 12:26 PM)
I like this idea, but whats the motive behind it? If theres no real benefits then why change it, im pretty sure i havnt heard any complaints about the midweek final...
Platini gave this reason
"I also hope that playing the Uefa Champions League final on a Saturday will give families, especially children, the chance to see the game."
Money I'm sure as that's the motive behind most things. Will be able to get a greater television audience world wide if it's on a weekend and means I won't have to get up at 4:15am on a Thursday morning to watch the final anymore
Carlo Gambino
Dec 2 2007, 09:37 PM
QUOTE(manu182 @ Dec 3 2007, 01:32 PM)
Platini gave this reason
"I also hope that playing the Uefa Champions League final on a Saturday will give families, especially children, the chance to see the game."
Money I'm sure as that's the motive behind most things. Will be able to get a greater television audience world wide if it's on a weekend and
means I won't have to get up at 4:15am on a Thursday morning to watch the final anymore Trust me, 4:15am on a sunday morning is worse
Juanito™
Dec 2 2007, 09:52 PM
QUOTE(Mucho Lucho @ Dec 2 2007, 09:37 PM)
Trust me, 4:15am on a sunday morning is worse
Exactly. At least on a thursday morning after the game you can go to school or work. Be satisfied and then be productive.
Platini ruins this.
Cuore
Dec 3 2007, 02:04 AM
QUOTE(Mucho Lucho @ Dec 3 2007, 01:37 PM)
Trust me, 4:15am on a sunday morning is worse
urbanlegend
Dec 3 2007, 08:46 AM
UEFA and FIFA are run like upper-class, snobby country clubs. I'm sorry, but football's demise will be the over corporate and political nature behind the scenes. I want football closer to it's purest form - NO SEPP BLATTER OR PLATINI. Giving smaller teams more of a chance is GREAT in my books, but the Euro draw is a perfect example... letting poorer quality teams like the Swiss and Austrians get much easier roads to the knockouts than necessary.
Dirge
Dec 3 2007, 07:11 PM
At the end of the day it keeps it fresh.
The top 3 in the EPL, La Liga and Serie A are the best teams in Euorpe. Fact. Then you give an outside chance, a wild card if you like to 4th spot.
This way the big clubs get the respect they deserve (and in turn the reputation of the competition....) and then the smaller clubs which can use it as a financial springbox and get their chance of glory and 5 minutes of fame by qualifying through what sounds like a "mini uefa cup".
So if a poor poor team gets through to the group stage, and is a garentueed 3 points, it actually makes the group tighter and more entertaining as its about the results between the big teams. So in turn there are more big games and more nail biting moments.
I'm all for it.
The 92nd Fish
Dec 7 2007, 12:10 PM
QUOTE(Keith. @ Nov 30 2007, 07:40 PM)
Im not for the saturday CL final game.
I always think the CL is a mid week thing and it should always be like that.
The build up the big game is great.
If they move the game from Night to day then i'll be very surprised.
It's going to be played at nightime still, just on a Saturday instead of the Wednesday, it's not like it'll be a 3pm kick off, I agree that'd ruin it
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