2012/13 Europa League thread

[stokeriño]

A handful of phone pics taken yesterday:

Tickets!

The Amsterdam ArenA

Rembrandtplein...

Obligatory Amsterdam CANALS and BICYCLES shot

Also, TULIPS. TULIPS EVERYWHERE.

Hanging out with Chelsea fans in Leidseplein

View from my seat! Both Chelsea goals were at this end so...awesome.

Tulips and windmills...because originality counts for nothing in this game.

WIIIIIIIIIIN

Trophy

Cheers

[Cymbols]

Nice stadium that. Looks like a great atmosphere too.

[Dan]

Jealous.

Don't think I'd even remember a game in Amsterdam though if I ever went

[Nerf]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/video-11yearold-liverpool-fan-picks-up-the-europa-league-trophy-with-chelsea-8619695.html

[EddieG]

Those LED screens on the Ziggo Dome are unbelievably huge, noticed it when I drove past earlier this month.

[Lineker]

Uefa is set to award a place in the Champions League to the winners of the Europa League from the 2014-15 season, in order to make that competition more attractive, with an announcement expected on Friday.

Other plans under consideration include whether to award a fifth Champions League place to clubs in the big European leagues and to expand the number of Europa League places on offer.

The European governing body has also confirmed that any player or official disciplined for racism in one of its competitions will receive a minimum 10-match ban.

The FA announced last week that it would bring in a minimum five-match ban for racism on the field of play, although it stressed that it was a "floor" and that punishments could be much higher.

Uefa, which has been under pressure to take a tougher line on racism in the wake of a string of contentious incidents, said discriminatory behaviour by players or officials would attract a minimum 10-match ban.

Racism in the stands will lead to a partial stadium closure for a first offence followed by a full stadium closure if for repeat offenders.

As part of an attempt to give its "Respect" campaign greater teeth, the minimum ban for insulting match officials has also been increased from two matches to three. The minimum ban for assaulting a match official is increased from 10 matches to 15.

The measures will be put before Uefa's Congress for ratification on Friday, together with a resolution that national associations adopt the "same or similar" sanctions.

Pressed on whether the FA should increase its sanctions, Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino said: "The FA is absolutely autonomous. They know for themselves what is best for England to do to fight against racism. England is probably one of the countries where the most has been done to fight against racism."

He added: "If the FA have shown their way of regulating is correct for England, then that is their decision. Everyone must do whatever they can in this field."

The new sanctions will take effect from June 1 this year, so will apply to the European Under-21 championships in Israel and all Uefa club competitions from next season.

Uefa's executive committee, meeting in London ahead of the Champions League final, also announced it was removing any statute of limitations on investigation of match fixing cases, to allow historic cases to be examined, and unveiled new anti-doping measures.

It will use the steroid profiles of 900 players who have played in Uefa competitions since 1998 as the basis of a retrospective study, which will be conducted anonymously but potentially used as the basis of a new biological passport scheme.

It will also introduce blood tests to all its competitions for the first time, putting the number that will be conducted next season at "a few hundred".

"It is up to the experts on the medical committee to define precisely the number. A few hundred. What prompted this is that we want to do whatever we can to show that we want to have a clean sport. We have a very detailed and elaborate anti-doping programme," said Infantino.

"We have some good experience in 2008 and 2012 with the blood tests. We thought it was the right time to introduce the same in other European competitions. When you have a programme you have to always try to improve it."

Uefa also announced that the 2015 Champions League final would be in Berlin, with the Europa League final in Warsaw.

[Colly]

5th place? No. Europa Winner place? Yes. Obviously.

[Matt]

It's bad enough the top 4 qualify. One place should go to the cup winners imo, just seems a better achievement than finishing 4th. I like the Europa winner qualifying too, although I suspect most Europa League winners qualify anyway.

[METALMAN]

5th place is a definite no. Tottenham might get in.

[stokeriño]

And think: if a team like Chelsea (3rd) won that spot, the 5th CL league spot would presumably slip down to 6th...

[Nerf]

Or seventh

[DavidMarrio]

I like the idea of giving the Europa league winner a spot in the Champions League, but giving more teams in the top leagues more spots I can't get behind.

In an ideal world for me they'd change the Europa League model back into the old UEFA Cup straight knockout model and/or scrap the teams who finish 3rd in their Champions League group entry into the latter rounds of the Europa League.

[TCO]

The Europa League is well established as the Champions League loser competition. There's 25 Champions League losers entered by the time the group stages are done anyway, see no reason to stop any more going in

[Jimmy]

I don't think anyone of 'em should be allowed in anyway. If they want it taken seriously they really have to change that. I'd be down for straight knock-out with no extra entrants. Qualification at the end or not.

[Baddar]

Uefa is set to award a place in the Champions League to the winners of the Europa League from the 2014-15 season, in order to make that competition more attractive, with an announcement expected on Friday.

This should have happened ages ago. Good move.

[Twist]

I think the extra Chanpions League spot is only in the event if the winner of either the Champikns League or Europa League don't qualify via the league. So with Chelsea last year, for example, Tottenham would have got a spot as well instead of losing out despite finishing fourth. I don't think it'll five spot every year.

[Dan]

They only set that rule after Liverpool won it and Everton almost missed out didn't they?

[Colly]

Yep, but it was Liverpool who almost missed out, not Everton.

And Pepsi, are you getting that from anywhere or is that just gut feeling?

[DavidMarrio]

Yep, but it was Liverpool who almost missed out, not Everton.

And Pepsi, are you getting that from anywhere or is that just gut feeling?

Yeh they changed the rule after we finished 5th. But we had to qualify from the 1st qualifying round and could get English teams in the group stages as we drew Chelsea whereas now 4th place doesn't qualify.

[Twist]

Yep, but it was Liverpool who almost missed out, not Everton.

And Pepsi, are you getting that from anywhere or is that just gut feeling?

That was written into a report I read on the BBC earlier today. I'm at work but ill try and find it for a reference point when I get home.