UEFA plan major Champions League reform

[mawspurs]

UEFA's executive committee of European football's governing body are expected to approve major changes to the structure of the competition in a meeting on Wednesday, March 31 and it may end up hurting both Tottenham and Chelsea. Europe's elite club competition has been the pinnacle for most footballers in their goal to win the biggest prize.

Source: Daily Express

 

[carpediem991]

Where do UEFA and FIFA get all their lousy ideas from?
Ah, its just to get some extra cash in their pockets.

 

[VegasII]

They had it right all those years ago: Champions league for champions, UEFA cup for the 2nd-4th lot, and the Cup Winners Cup as a goofy comp for domestic trophy winners. It all worked iirc.

 

[thecook]

If they change it to benefit their elite favourites then then can fuck off letting teams drop down into the Europe League when they fail.

 

[mark87]

I've just checked the team coefficients and I can't work out how Liverpool got more points in the year they lost to Madrid in the final than they did when they beat us the following year.

It also makes no sense how arsenal have more than both us and Chelsea.

 

[swarvsta]

It’s anti-competitive and would signal the end of football as we know it.

Think it’s just pie in the sky speculation and would never come to fruition.

For example, this season’s Premier League would basically have zero interest left towards the top end of the table, without European places to play for.

No way this would ever get support from the top leagues as it would damage their product massively.

I also think domestic fans generally value their own league more than they do the European competitions.

 

[mawspurs]

Decision over UCL reforms that would protect Arsenal, Chelsea delayed

www.standard.co.uk

 

[carmeldevil]

Long NYT article on this (I printed it as PDF because this article is behind a paywall and may not be accessible for all)

https://anonymousfiles.io/ImmOHc0b/

 

[Seafordian Spurs]

Long NYT article on this (I printed it as PDF because this article is behind a paywall and may not be accessible for all)

https://anonymousfiles.io/ImmOHc0b/

Can you copy and paste it here ?

 

[carmeldevil]

Can you copy and paste it here ?

I can't. it includes some interactive that only works when scrolling down.

The Champions League Is Changing. Here’s How It Will Work. (Published 2021)

After more than a generation in its current form, the Champions League is remaking itself, and about to become an actual league for the first time.

www.nytimes.com

See if you can read it directly?

 

[allatsea]

Can’t see how all the games are going to be fitted in. Far too much football already.

 

[Seafordian Spurs]

I can't. it includes some interactive that only works when scrolling down.

The Champions League Is Changing. Here’s How It Will Work. (Published 2021)

After more than a generation in its current form, the Champions League is remaking itself, and about to become an actual league for the first time.

www.nytimes.com

See if you can read it directly?

Thank you

 

[PLTuck]

Should change the name to "Commercially successful and will bring in the money league"

Absolutely ridiculous. Just to keep the so called "big" clubs at the CL table even if they are shit.

 

[Timbo Tottenham]

It’s a European Super League by stealth.

 

[RichieS]

It’s a European Super League by stealth.

Well, yes. But this way UEFA feel as though they have control over it and, most importantly for them, can therefore make money from it.

 

[defoes5]

I've just checked the team coefficients and I can't work out how Liverpool got more points in the year they lost to Madrid in the final than they did when they beat us the following year.

It also makes no sense how arsenal have more than both us and Chelsea.

it’s becuase sucess in the europa league is treated equally with that in the cl, so arsenals loss in bacu was as good as our loss in madrid.... i know ?

 

[bubble07]

It's not a bad idea...

 

[Saoirse]

I've just checked the team coefficients and I can't work out how Liverpool got more points in the year they lost to Madrid in the final than they did when they beat us the following year.

It also makes no sense how arsenal have more than both us and Chelsea.

There's some bonus points for being in the CL (4 for being in the groups stage, and 5 for reaching the knockouts), plus one bonus point for reaching each of the QF, SF and Final in either tournament. But other than that, it's simply about results - 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. While we've racked up some bonus points, Arsenal's results on the pitch have been greatly superior (W35, D9 and still in this year, rather than W23, D7). Last season was their only disappointing year - other than that they've had a Champions League season where they made the knockout, a Europa League final, a Europa League semi-final, and this time a Europa League quarter-final and are still in, whereas in the two seasons we've been in the Europa League in the same period we've made an absolute pig's ear of it.

 

[LSUY]

It's not a bad idea...

Yes it is. Five English spots in the CL and 7th place Liverpool get one of them because 3rd place Leicester and 5th place West Ham weren't as good as Liverpool five seasons previously. These reforms are nothing more than another step in making the CL a members only club.

 

[garyhopkins]

It's not a bad idea...

but...

It's simply more games - just what every manager says their players don't need - because there'll be more revenue.

It seems that you play 10 games against 10 different opponents and then just the bottom 12 of the 36 teams are eliminated.
So, in theory you'll need to win only 3 or 4 games and you will enter the knockout stages (even a meagre 2 wins may suffice).
Thus you could happily concentrate on your league and sneak into the knockout stages in 24th place and why not? Ok. you'd have one extra knockout round to play than the top 8 sides, but you will have rested players previously.

Sure, there'll be more games between top sides, but I'd expect a lot more dull matches too.

I presume the prize money will be an incentive but coming top in a 36 team qualifying league is no more trophy winning than coming fourth in your domestic league.

As a viewing spectacle I can't see that much excitement until the knockout stages...