UEFA Champions League 2021/22

[gunnar hendershow]

I wouldn't mind that so much if they had to go through the qualifying rounds. Straight into the groups just means 2 clubs don't even have a shot at proving themselves.

[Baddar]

I wonder if this will get a similar reaction to the Super League plans. This takes away the merit side of things for a lot of clubs, which was one of the big issues with that idea.

[Bobfoc]

1 hour ago, Lineker said:

Plans to allow teams to qualify for the Champions League based on historical performance have received the backing of Europe’s top clubs as the best way to ensure the competition remains “premium” and “inclusive”.

What arrogance. This idea that certain clubs are inherently superior to others, regardless of recent results, is exactly what I've come to expect from top-level football. They might as well just announce they're granting automatic qualification to every club called Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

[Malenko]

I really hate they use the word "inclusive" in a rule change that will make the competition anything but.

[Bobfoc]

It's like the Queen saying that the Royal Box at Wimbledon is inclusive.

[Colly]

There's always a token gesture charity donation as well.

[gunnar hendershow]

Have a feeling the new FFP capping spending at 70% of annual revenue doesn't really address much. I'd be curious if it's more effective than the current system. A club could be losing money but still have high revenue. It rewards perhaps a bit more bad behavior.

[DavidMarrio]

The coefficient rule will benefit a select few big clubs at the expense of others... 

The new FFP rule won't stop teams like City creating fake companies and sponsorship deals. 

UEFA are just as bad as FIFA and the Super League idea. They don't care about fans and try and keep saying the changes they're doing is for fans. No one wants it, it's just self-interest and money. 

[Malenko]

It was obvious UEFA wasn't really against the idea of a Super League even when they opposed it. They were just against the idea of someone else running the thing.

[Adam]

I cannot see myself ever watching a Champions League match again. A proper waste of time.

The biggest clubs have spoiled this sport, along with the executive idiots at FIFA/UEFA. They've really spoiled it.

[The Lusophone]

18 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

What arrogance. This idea that certain clubs are inherently superior to others, regardless of recent results, is exactly what I've come to expect from top-level football. They might as well just announce they're granting automatic qualification to every club called Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

None of those clubs have finished outside the top four of their leagues in the last two seasons, not sure why you're directing it at them, and not the clubs who would've qualified under this system - Lyon and Napoli for 21-22 and Roma and Bayer Levekusen the season before.

[Bobfoc]

46 minutes ago, MadJack said:

None of those clubs have finished outside the top four of their leagues in the last two seasons, not sure why you're directing it at them, and not the clubs who would've qualified under this system - Lyon and Napoli for 21-22 and Roma and Bayer Levekusen the season before.

I'm talking about it more in a theoretical sense, but I'm happy to add those other teams to the list. The idea that any team could finish as low as sixth in their league, get eliminated at the earliest opportunity in all their cup competitions and still get into the Champions League is silly.

[Adam]

2 hours ago, MadJack said:

None of those clubs have finished outside the top four of their leagues in the last two seasons, not sure why you're directing it at them, and not the clubs who would've qualified under this system - Lyon and Napoli for 21-22 and Roma and Bayer Levekusen the season before.

They quite blatantly aren't adopting this rule for Lyon though, are they? It's for those seasons where the biggest clubs miss out because they aren't good enough, as has definitely happened to Manchester United recently.

[The Lusophone]

22 minutes ago, Adam said:

They quite blatantly aren't adopting this rule for Lyon though, are they? It's for those seasons where the biggest clubs miss out because they aren't good enough, as has definitely happened to Manchester United recently.

I mean as it stands I'm pretty sure the clubs it'll benefit this season are Atalanta and Spurs so... idk? If it's designed to help the likes of United qualify it seems pretty poorly designed.

[Adam]

1 hour ago, MadJack said:

I mean as it stands I'm pretty sure the clubs it'll benefit this season are Atalanta and Spurs so... idk? If it's designed to help the likes of United qualify it seems pretty poorly designed.

This idea has been mooted many times and is clearly motivated by the very top clubs for the instances where they miss out on qualifying. It's the same principle as having a European Super League where the guaranteed spot in the big competition means Man Utd, Juventus, AC Milan, Spurs, Arsenal etc. no longer need to worry about missing out on the top 4 in their domestic league. That is obvious.

I know you're a Man Utd fan but you can't surely think this proposal is motivated by Lyon, Atalanta and Leverkusen. Surely.

[The Lusophone]

2 minutes ago, Adam said:

This idea has been mooted many times and is clearly motivated by the very top clubs for the instances where they miss out on qualifying. It's the same principle as having a European Super League where the guaranteed spot in the big competition means Man Utd, Juventus, AC Milan, Spurs, Arsenal etc. no longer need to worry about missing out on the top 4 in their domestic league. That is obvious.

I know you're a Man Utd fan but you can't surely think this proposal is motivated by Lyon, Atalanta and Leverkusen. Surely.

No I see what you're saying, but I'm also saying United don't qualify via this method. They wouldn't have benefited from this method last season or the season before either.

So if it's designed to help United, then it's a shitty way to do it.

[Colly]

Bloody hell, it's not specifically a Man Utd rule, the point is it helps historically strong sides with high coefficients who occasionally fall out of the top four, such as Man Utd. And as such is a load of nonsense.

[Szumi]

That late goal to make it 3-1 was huge. Could've been up by 5 after the first half, only to get dominated all second half after Konate's howler. Huge relief

[FLiam]

Don’t think there’s a better in-form player than Karim Benzema at the moment.

[gunnar hendershow]

Benzema appears due a hat trick every other match right now.