He’s not wrong, maybe it’s our impotence in the competition but I feel like it’s lost some of it’s prestige, especially during the group stage.
Playing BVB and Olympiacos for the billionth time only to be knocked out by Bayern/Barca after the break got old fast.
I’d like to see them take some more risks with the tournament, such as allowing domestic rivals to face each other earlier in the competition. The draws are all very sanitized, much to the point that they look premeditated and bordering on corrupt.
He’s not wrong but its got nothing to do with the set up, we could make the group stage more interesting but that could just lead to making the quarter finals onwards more boring so what’s the point ? Basically its the just the gulf between Europe’s top 5 or 6 sides and the rest is now huge.
The setup essentially guarantees we see those top 5 or 6 in the final few games of the competition every fucking season though. Of course you’re always going to see the best teams go the furthest but they do everything possible to destroy any sort of cup magic.
Can’t agree with anyone who thinks the cup is pointless though, it’s still the pinnacle of the sport of football.
I remember being pissed off with the changes to the Playoff system too. Let’s be honest the teams who finish fourth and upwards in the top 4 European leagues should have automatic entry to the group stage. More competitive and interesting match ups
Sick and tired of fodder entering the group stages through ‘champions’ route whilst high performing teams from better leagues face off through the league route. So shit seeing potentially interesting team go out at the playoffs
Yeah but i’d rather see the best teams in Europe play off at the pointy end rather than have some shit truck semi final because Barca and Real got drawn together in the round of 16.
Personally I think it would be much more exciting and would allow the underdogs more of a chance to progress further.
Lets be honest not many teams can compete with Barca/Real/Bayern when it comes to player acquisition so why not let them face off against one another earlier if the fates decide. Once it becomes a knock-out competition that’s exactly what it should be, the ridiculous parameters decide who gets knocked out more than the actual football. Don’t even get me started on the away goal rule sucking the fun out of a tie.
If you’d just prefer to see a euro league then fair enough but semi objecting to actual Champions entering the champions league seems a bit strange to me.
I’m objecting to the ‘Champions’ route playoff system. Does the fact they’re champions add any real value to the competition other than placating tin pot football associations who bitch about participation?
Doesn’t concern me if they’re champions of whichever pub league, they’re protected from a fair qualification process and better teams are tossed out. Alot of the ‘Champions’ route playoff teams would have a hard time making real an impression in the EL, they add no value whatsoever in the CL.
If your happy with the like Maribor in the CL Group stage than the likes of Hoffenheim then so be it.
Yea. I understood your objection. My point is it’s the champions legaue. So it should have as many champions as possible in it. Indeed it’s a competition that was once exclusively for champions.
I’m more than happy for Maribor and the likes to be in the CL because it’s pretty much the pinnacle of their existence and why should that be closed off to them so we can have Liverpool or Udinese in there?
It’s actually hilarious to me that you’re ’ ’ around champions while simultaneously espousing non champions getting into the champions league ahead of actual Champions.
So would you be happy for the competition to revert back to the champions only entry? Would that make the watching more ‘authentic’ for you?
I think the original ideal of the the European Cup/Champions league was that the best in Europe face off against the best. In the past admitting the champions was the best way to determine that but I feel football is about evolution, I see no reason for the CL should retain to a dogmatic commitment to the ‘Champions’ part of the competition for the sake of what essentially? Good ole times?
You’re essentially confessing you want teams in the CL who don’t add anything for novelty value. That’s not what most people want imo
If we’re talking about reviving a stale competition and injecting excitement who honestly cares about things from Maribor’s POV?
Why should that be a serious consideration in any discussion other than TV money
It’s not close off to them though is it, if they make it through a fair playoff system then fair enough they deserve entry in to the group stage. If they can’t then they obviously aren’t good enough for the competition.
Teams like Liverpool and Udinese (ie high performing league teams) provide a higher level of competition for other group members. Group fixtures are more balanced and unpredictable as a result. This means more excitement for the viewer and a more rigorous test for the eventual winner.
These are the same reasons why the group of death generates so much more attention and interest in the CL GS. I’d love to have multiple difficult groups in the CL, make it much more fun tracking the early stages.
I didn’t say this. I said there should be more champions involved. Currently (I think) there are 17 champions in total. I’d increase that to 20, maybe 22.
I’m obviously going to be biased here as a fan of a small league of Ireland club but in answer to you question about who cares, I do! I’ve watched teams like Rosenberg and Apoel do fantastically well in the CL and their fans care too. It’s what every Shamrock Rovers or KR Reykjavik aims for and the Champions route of qualifying gives that to them. I’d hate to see it disappear. Especially if all we do with that is let the 5th best English or 4th best Italian team in instead.
It’s not so much a problem with the competition itself, just the fact that the top leagues have expanded fibiciwlly on a scale that others haven’t been able to. It’s seem weird to think that Monaco and Porto played against each other in the 2004 final, it’s highly unlikely that could happen now.
It’s difficult to see a solution that the big clubs would accept to be honest, I do though like the idea of allowing clubs from the same league to meet eachother earlier.
Makes you wonder why it’s there in the first place though.
Maybe it is to protect teams from the same league getting each other in the group knocking each other out to the point of losing country coefficient points and losing spots or something.
But isn’t just that cementing the stalemate? I doubt very much that adding an Udinese to the group would make it more interesting. Why have qualifications at all, just add the richest teams right away. I like seeing smaller teams giving it a go, because maybe with that extra money there can be a future shift of power between the leagues. Football needs to evolve. Now it’s boring as hell.
Yeah, who needs the Champions League when you have the FA Cup and the fourth place trophy.
Another example of why he should learn to keep his mouth shut.
I’m surprised he can say anything with all those sour grapes in his mouth.
