Who Stole My Champions?

[Farmer Reil]

Remember when the Champions League was actually a league where Champions took part?

Remember WHY it was called the Champions league? Not the FourthPlaceAfterAnAbsolutelyCrapSeason-ions League?

How is it a league of champions if the top four teams are in it?

Now, I may be wrong, but last time I looked, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool are not the champions of England. Or anything else, for that matter. So why should they be in the CHAMPIONS League?

Surely that's what the UEFA Cup was always for?

The funny thing is, I bet the first person to complain about fixture congestion next season will be Alex Fuckerson.

It's such a simple idea...the top team from the top league in the top European countries go into a tournament to decide the champions of Europe. HOW DID THEY MANAGE TO SCREW IT UP?! Did Brian Gerwitz become head of UEFA a few years ago without my knowlege?

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

THIS IS A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, FOR CHAMPION TEAMS. WE'LL HAVE NO LOSERS HERE~!

[stokeriño]

Cynical reason:

More teams = more matches = more money

My reason:

Because a tournament of only 8 or so teams (unless you took the champions of places like, say, Slovenia) would suck.

And seriously, how much does it matter? Would you like them to change the name then? It is still the premier competition in Europe. I'd say it's far more enjoyable with the extra teams, because otherwise it would get so repetitive that it wouldn't evenb be funny.

Edited May 13, 2004 by stokeriño

[Jook]

Completely agree. But try telling that to Sex Blotter or what ever the fuck his name is.

[TheArsenal]

Did Brian Gerwitz become head of UEFA a few years ago without my knowlege?

←

FIFA wish they had Gerwitz!!! Instead they are stuck with Sepp Blatter - the man who wants to do away with draws!!

[Guest Booker T & The MG's]

It's cash, people will pay money to watch the 2nd place teams of England and Italy face each other, rather than the champions of England and Estonia facing each other.

I like the current format, they went overboard with 2 group stages, but now the format is good, the only thing that needs changing is the name of the competition

[Guest Red Devil]

For the tournament it's much better because if we had champions from all over Europe we would end up with teams from shitty devisions taking on the real European giants when this way there is a lot more competition but i do believe they should have it lessened. Maybe the champs get automatically through and either 2nd and 3rd place or only 2nd place go into a play off with other runner ups and the winners get into the competition.

[TheArsenal]

It's cash,  people will pay money to watch the 2nd place teams of England and Italy face each other, rather than the champions of England and Estonia facing each other.

I like the current format, they went overboard with 2 group stages, but now the format is good,  the only thing that needs changing is the name of the competition

←

They should change it back to The European CUp - like it used to be befre the early 1990's.

[supergrass]

I think 4th place is a bit of a stretch, I could happily live with it just being 1st and 2nd placed teams in the competition for the sake of having good teams in it and a good amount of teams.

I don't see why the Cup Winners Cup was done away with. After that more went into the UEFA Cup, so more entered the Champions League. Went on from there really.

[Farmer Reil]

England

Scotland

Italy

France

Germany

Netherlands

Belgium

Spain

Portugal

Turkey (BOOOOOOOO!)

Greece

Austria

Estonia

Ukraine

Slovakia

Russia

There's a perfectly reasonable 16-team tournament.

You could always seed them, so that the team with the most percentage of wins in their domestic league played the team with the least percentage of wins, to give an advantage to Arsenal and their 100%

I mean, sure, it's going to come down to England, Scotland/Germany, Spain and Italy almost every time, but I don't see the problem, at least it'll be an actualy Champions League.

[TMM]

It should only be 1st and 2nd of all the (major) European nations involved in the Champions League.

Otherwise it becomes a little stupid, especially when a team who, say, finished fourth in their league goes on to win the Champions League.

It supposedly makes them the best in Europe, but they obviously can't be because they're not the best in their country.

[stokeriño]

Though of course the whole deal with it being 4th place is because they alter them slightly every few years based on which are the better leagues at the time. Hence why England got a 4th one a couple of years back, Scotland got one taken away etc. All the '4th place' thing does is point out that, due to the overall quality of the league, the 4th placed team in England is likely to be as good or better than the champions or 2nd placed team from some other country. That way it's more realistic and provides for better football.

[Farmer Reil]

The top two I could tolerate. But seeing Liverpool in the Champions League just isn't right, when earlier in the season they were stuck in the bottom half of the fucking table. They're closer to the bottom of the table than they are to the top, points-wise.

[TheArsenal]

It's not done on which leagues do better - it's done on how well clubs from that country do in European competition. We were given an extra place in 2001 - but it didn't come into effect until a season later (2002/2003 was the first year a 4th placed English side got intot he Champions League).

The reason we got the extra place?

Arsenal reached the QF of the Champions League.

Leeds Utd and Man Utd reached the SF of the Champions League.

Liverpool won the UEFA Cup.

[Guest Booker T & The MG's]

I have no problem with that format, it seems reasonable, if they used that before they came up with this format, it would have been fine.

Unfortunatly it all boils down to money, sad as it is that's what football is to the people as the top, you would'nt get enough big money games out of that to keep the television companies and clubs happy, in addition you would'nt get the same quality of football on a regular basis.

For me the money isn't the most important thing, but even if The Champions has 3rd/4th place teams in it now, I'm happy because there is top quality football to watch on a regular basis.

[pigeon]

I completely agree. The only way two teams from one country should qualify is if one of them win the European Cup, and one of them win their domestic league.

It's all about the money, sadly though, and it's never going to change, as G14 are never going to agree to cutting the number of entrants.

[Johnny Drama]

i thought it wernt too bad when the top two went in and the 2nd team had to qualifty ala 3rd and 4th. The trophy needs to be renamed me thinks.

[Cortez]

Im dead against 4th place getting a spot in the cup, and third place im kinda 50/50 with. To me 4th place in any league is a good postion to finish but it is along way of being considered championship material, yet 4th place still is deemed worthy of getting a place in a tournament that is aimed at the CHAMPIONS of each league, just dosen't seem right like others have said it all about the money.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I don't like the fourth place team being in the Champions league at all. I dont care if the fourth best team in England are better then the champions of Slovakia or whatever, but at least the Slovakian team would have earnt it by WINNING something. Liverpool do not deserve a Champions league place at all. As ReilDeal points out, they are closer to the bottom of the table points wise then the top.

Liverpool have been average all season, Newcastle have been hit and miss, and Villa were wank until Christmas. If you qualify for Europe, you should be playing well all season.

I'm not too keen on the third place team entering. At the least they should have to go through qualifiers.

It it was just the Champions, the tournament may be a bit repetitive, so I think it should be the top two, and ideally NO-ONE else. Though I can accept third placed teams if they go through the qualifying rounds.

[lazy_arse]

England

Scotland

Italy

France

Germany

Netherlands

Belgium

Spain

Portugal

Turkey (BOOOOOOOO!)

Greece

Austria

Estonia

Ukraine

Slovakia

Russia

There's a perfectly reasonable 16-team tournament.

←

Estonia? I dont think they even have a team in the UEFA cup. Personally its fine as it is. Having champions from teams like austra and estonia just makes the competition look crap.

[Johnny Drama]

yeh but it is their right to participate as they won their league they easrned it more thna liverpool who will prob get 4th spot in prem.