Revamp of European Competitions ?

[Barry the bird boggler]

Probably never happen but the suggestion according to Eurosport is:

European football's governing body is pondering a proposal that it scraps the woefully unpopular Europa League in order to launch a 64-team uber-tournament that would double the size of the existing Champions League group stage.

With no second-tier competition, that would mean seven English sides all heading into Europe's top club tournament.

Assuming that European places for the FA Cup and League Cup winners are retained, that could open the door to Champions League riches for a huge number of clubs who have previously been unable to break into the top four.

A dilution of the quality of the early group stage matches would be inevitable, but a super-sized Champions League would also bring undoubted benefits in reigniting some of the largely redundant competitions. Many teams field semi-youth sides in the FA Cup and League Cup, for example; that sacrificing of cup matches for the sake of league success would instantly become a thing of the past.

It would also lead to some extraordinary anomalies: in 2011-12, Birmingham City were in the Europa League despite being relegated and plying their trade in the Championship. Under the possible new format they could have been playing Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday and then lining up at Peterborough that weekend.

"There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018," UEFA president Michel Platini said in the Daily Mail, adding that, "nothing is decided yet" and that a decision is due in 2014.

The spark for the radical proposal has come as UEFA is under threat of a breakaway alternative to the Champions League that is being rumoured among some of Europe's biggest sides.

But Platini was dismissive of the idea that any such Euro Super League could take off.

"It doesn't worry me. I can't see how it could work outside the UEFA framework," he said. "Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play?"

[Deadlock]

Interesting idea, but this

Many teams field semi-youth sides in the FA Cup and League Cup, for example; that sacrificing of cup matches for the sake of league success would instantly become a thing of the past.

makes this

in 2011-12, Birmingham City were in the Europa League despite being relegated and plying their trade in the Championship.

much less likely.

[Jackson Corner]

Athletico Madrid won 8.5 million for winning the Europa league. They must have played a dozen games to get what amounts to buying Jordan Rhodes. No wonder nobody takes it seriously.

[REMTARDROYAL]

The numbers are easily found. Essentially any big club will get 20 million euros plus just for playing the 6 group stage games. Then money for winning games, advancing in the tournament.

If UEFA want to make the Europa League more worthwhile, get rid of the CL repechage, stop tinkering with it and take 10 per cent of the CL money and put it in prizes for the later stages of that tournament.

[REMTARDROYAL]

A bit out of date but in 10/11 season

The €754.1m prize money allotted to the 32 teams who figured from the group stage onwards consisted of €413m in fixed amounts plus €341,100,000 from the market pool.

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Dow ... WNLOAD.pdf

So every team in the Group stages basically gets what the UEFA cup winners get in total.

You think this might be why its hard for teams to care?

[REMTARDROYAL]

Also, I don't get why the TV money is SO skewed. Sure, big teams have a bigger market but there wouldn't be a competition without all 32 teams in it. A 100 fold difference between the highest and the lowest might be justified in the raw viewing figures but seems a ridiculous disparity to me.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Athletico Madrid won 8.5 million for winning the Europa league. They must have played a dozen games to get what amounts to buying Jordan Rhodes. No wonder nobody takes it seriously.

That's the sad comment on football these days - that people would equate the value of a competition with the cash prize for winning it.

[Handsome Man]

Both tournaments produce shit football. Otherwise this would be a good idea. If you are not a fan of one of the clubs involved, Tuesday, Wednesday and especially Thursday European nights are rarely anything but a chore for the armchair supporter.

[SPARTA]

The Champions League. It's already ironic enough how most of the teams in it aren't the league champions of their domestic league, so why not add some more lower rate sides, it's exactly what it needs, right?

[Barry the bird boggler]

The Champions League. It's already ironic enough how most of the teams in it aren't the league champions of their domestic league, so why not add some more lower rate sides, it's exactly what it needs, right?

Yes, definitely, one premier european competition only. Should rename it the the European League Cup though! It'll never happen because of the lack of money for the "big" clubs but personally I'd go for a return to the days of the original cup knockout format, much more interesting that these damn stupid league tournaments packed full of poseur players and meaninglessly dull and uninteresting games. Still can't have that as it'd mean more than a handful of teams being competitive.

[Divvy]

The Champions League. It's already ironic enough how most of the teams in it aren't the league champions of their domestic league, so why not add some more lower rate sides, it's exactly what it needs, right?

Yes, definitely, one premier european competition only. Should rename it the the European League Cup though! It'll never happen because of the lack of money for the "big" clubs but personally I'd go for a return to the days of the original cup knockout format, much more interesting that these damn stupid league tournaments packed full of poseur players and meaninglessly dull and uninteresting games. Still can't have that as it'd mean more than a handful of teams being competitive.

Agreed. Bring back the European Cup (knock-out) and the Cup Winners Cup. As it should be!

[reading_fan]

A couple of things on Platini's comments on a potential break away league

"Who will referee them?"

This will obviously be a problem initially, certainly, but:

"In what stadiums will they play?"

Surely this won't be an issue? UEFA don't control the stadiums a team plays in

[Jackson Corner]

It would be better going back to the old two legged knock out format. Rather than this prolonged boring group stages were nobody seems to know what's going on half the time.

[Barry the bird boggler]

It would be better going back to the old two legged knock out format. Rather than this prolonged boring group stages were nobody seems to know what's going on half the time.

Absolutely, a mass 128 team FA Cup style knockout tournament, seeded I guess to help sell it to the greedy bunch.

[larry1971]

having the top 4 teams qualify for the Champions League is already farcicle but to want to extend that to 6 maybe 8 teams is beyond ridiculous. the simple soloution is to scrap the Europa League and re-introduce the Uefa cup as a straight forward knock out compotition .

[Wimb]

You'll sadly never get a return to the pure knock-out system because the club's won't want to give up the guarantee of three home games in the group stage and UEFA won't want to run the risk of TV companies not bidding as much because they might only end up with 2 Barcelona or Real Madrid games in the competition.

The Europa League was only ever a money spinning exercise for UEFA anyway, again the chance to sell better TV rights and earn more from sponsorship etc. Despite the fact they're fielding weakened teams, again you've got a guarantee of at least 6 games with all of the bigger sides.

I'd favour expanding the Champions League, if only because the more teams that have access to extra prize money, the more likely we are to break the monopoly of the current big sides. As mentioned it'd also spice up the cups and give a lot of lower Premier League clubs the chance for something to aim for.

Obviously won't happen though... all they'll do is reduce the Europa League by a round or something token like that, making it go straight to a group stage rather than the first round or getting rid of the round of 32 etc.

[Franchise FC]

Good debate on Kicking Off last night regarding the allocation of Champions Leaue places.

Suggestion is to give a place for the FA Cup winners, amid debate as to whether other countries would follow suit and whether it would need extra places. I'm not convinced other countries need to follow suit - surely the places are for our authorities to allocate.

It would certainly make sure that the FA Cup got the attention of all teams and would give some of the lesser teams the (very outside) chance of qualifying for the CL.
Would also mean that the showpiece finale to the season would REALLY mean something

Why not simply give 3 places for the top 3 in the PL and the FA Cup winners ?
Surely UEFA don't prescribe how the places are allocated ?

Who does have the power to decide ? Is it the FA ? Is it the PL ?

A place for the cup winners would at least mean that a team that won something would get in. At the moment it's the Also-Rans League.

Another suggestion was a CL place for the winners of the UEFA (Europa) League. Again, I like that because winning something matters - not finishing 4th.
Also gives incentive to the participants to take the competition seriously.

[Franchise FC]

You'll sadly never get a return to the pure knock-out system because the club's won't want to give up the guarantee of three home games in the group stage and UEFA won't want to run the risk of TV companies not bidding as much because they might only end up with 2 Barcelona or Real Madrid games in the competition.
The Europa League was only ever a money spinning exercise for UEFA anyway, again the chance to sell better TV rights and earn more from sponsorship etc. Despite the fact they're fielding weakened teams, again you've got a guarantee of at least 6 games with all of the bigger sides.

I'd favour expanding the Champions League, if only because the more teams that have access to extra prize money, the more likely we are to break the monopoly of the current big sides. As mentioned it'd also spice up the cups and give a lot of lower Premier League clubs the chance for something to aim for.

Obviously won't happen though... all they'll do is reduce the Europa League by a round or something token like that, making it go straight to a group stage rather than the first round or getting rid of the round of 32 etc.

Good point - so to increase interest why not expand to 64 teams in 16 groups with ONLY the group winners progressing to the knock-outs ?

[Wimb]

You'll sadly never get a return to the pure knock-out system because the club's won't want to give up the guarantee of three home games in the group stage and UEFA won't want to run the risk of TV companies not bidding as much because they might only end up with 2 Barcelona or Real Madrid games in the competition.
The Europa League was only ever a money spinning exercise for UEFA anyway, again the chance to sell better TV rights and earn more from sponsorship etc. Despite the fact they're fielding weakened teams, again you've got a guarantee of at least 6 games with all of the bigger sides.

I'd favour expanding the Champions League, if only because the more teams that have access to extra prize money, the more likely we are to break the monopoly of the current big sides. As mentioned it'd also spice up the cups and give a lot of lower Premier League clubs the chance for something to aim for.

Obviously won't happen though... all they'll do is reduce the Europa League by a round or something token like that, making it go straight to a group stage rather than the first round or getting rid of the round of 32 etc.

Good point - so to increase interest why not expand to 64 teams in 16 groups with ONLY the group winners progressing to the knock-outs ?

I like the idea because it'll make a lot of group games a lot more competitive but then do worry you'd get a lot of 'dead' games when teams know they've got no chance and nothing to play for....

My preference would be to have the old Europa qualifiers, say the 'worst' 32 teams that qualify, play two knockout rounds to get down to 8 teams. (if you want to really include all of Europe have an additional pre-qualifying round for teams from lower ranking nations)

Those 8 teams then join the 24 'Champions' in the group stages and we proceed as normal with 8 groups of 4.

That way you'd get to allow the minnows to have a crack, teams not concerned with Europe wouldn't be forced to slog through the campaign and you'd preserve the TV companies interest as you'd still get the biggest teams entering and guaranteed to have a certain number of games.

[Barry the bird boggler]

First thing to go if the Europa league does stay is the idiot idea of parachuting champions league also rans into its latter stages