Big nations plans to exclude small nations from champions league

[HibeeJibee]

At the moment there are 32 clubs in CL groupstage plus 48 in EL groupstage, making 80 clubs overall.

I don't see why they couldn't change that to 48 in CL (with 8 best group winners getting byes past first KO round) plus 40 in EL, making 88 overall. That could enable them to strengthen the number of CL places going to large and small countries - perhaps including cup winners, too - and head off any attempted 'breakaway' movement.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

It's quite ironic, that the three clubs most associated with the Champions League in its embryonic format, namely AC Milan, Marseille and 1872-2012, are absolutely nowhere near it currently. The 'big five' getting round a table to discuss anything would only be to guage interest, and given their recent European form (collectively) if struggling with Basel, PSV or Olympiacos seems bad enough, skelpings off the genuine big guns wont be so appealing, and especially if the prize money on show isnt significantly higher. Uefa ought to pre empt this with a shake-up of some sort, if only to maintain a sporting stance. On the whole, Uefa have been better at that than Fifa (champions route into group stages, leading nations champions being top seeds etc).

eh?? they're as bad as each other, eufa has been run by money for money, look at all the past european cup winners from pre 2000, most of them will never win again even giants like ajax. giving more spots to big leagues whilst making smaller leagues qualify has allowed clubs to concentrate wealth year after year, and the 5 year co-efficiant rule makes it easier for big wealthy teams to grow and shuts out clubs from smaller nations. youv now got to a point where the gulf is so big that no club outside england spain PSG and bayern munich can afford to buy or even keep hold of top quality players.

if they go ahead with this elite invatation competition the remaining 43 nations should resign from eufa and form a new confederation, see how the run their euros with 5 teams

[Derry O'Driscoll]

I can't be the only person bored stupid with the tedium that is the CL.

Would happily let the big countries get 6 or 7 places in CL on the condition they give up their EL places.

That way the big clubs can bore everyone to death by playing each other year in year out, while fans of clubs in smaller countries (ie us) might actually get to enjoy a run in Europe rather than being papped out before August every season.

[TheGreenMonster]

Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummeniegge now saying that as part of the changes in the Champions League there should also be seeding brought in for the first knockout rounds after the group stages of the tournament so the big clubs are kept apart until at least the quarter finals

[Mr Bairn]

Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummeniegge now saying that as part of the changes in the Champions League there should also be seeding brought in for the first knockout rounds after the group stages of the tournament so the big clubs are kept apart until at least the quarter finals

 

 

They currently do group winners v runners up, I can imagine it being changed so that they're ranked via UEFA coefficient rather than group stage performance

 

 

I actually wouldn't oppose an NFL style European dream league that could be integrated into the national leagues system.

 

32 teams involved, but it's franchised and salary capped so every team has the same money to spend on a 25 man squad. That 25 man squad can represent them in European competition only, but they'll be very well paid. Then I'd either have an NFL draft type thing or an IPL type auction to spread the 800 players across the 32 teams.

 

So you'd be looking at:

 

 

4 from England (Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal)

4 from Spain (Barca, Real, Atleti, Sevilla)

4 Italy (Juve, the Milan clubs and Roma)

4 Germany (Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, Leverkusen)

 

2 France (PSG and Monaco)

2 Holland (Ajax and PSV)

2 from Portugal (Benfica and Porto)

 

That leaves 10 spots

 

Zenit

Shakhtar

Fenerbahce

Olympiakos

Anderlecht

Young Boys Bern

Sparta Prague

Steau Bucharest

Red Bull Salzburg

 

Then draw them into two 16's and further into 8 4's and have them play their division rivals home and away and everybody else once for a total of 34 games.

 

Then you take the winners of each division and a few wildcards into the playoffs.

 

Here's the kicker, the franchises would be updated every 5 years or so based on national performance and to maintain their spots in this the teams would need to perform well by fielding their B teams in their national league. The 25 man pool nominated to play in this would be ineligible to play in the national leagues and no one from the national leagues could play in this.

[Bambino7]

Champions League is a load of shite these days.  Absolutely spoiled by greed. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

I can't be alone in actively turning over from CL football?

 

It's dreadful, and these proposals are such a blatant cashgrab, it's actually depressing that none of the commentariat have nailed it as such.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

The problem with a "European Big Club" League is the same as the "Atlantic League" that somebody will have to finish bottom of it and a lot more clubs will have to have mediocre to a poor performance in any given season.

 

With the current set up supporters of the really Big Clubs see their side win more than they lose even in "bad seasons". Chelsea actually broke even exactly and that was in the context of a disastrous season.

 

The current split of Domestic Football and Champions League gives the Big guns a steady diet of low hurdles to clear (to stop people getting too impatient)  and some big Fences as well so there's always something bigger to aim for. 

[Mark Connolly]

With Hibs back in the Europa League, it seems we are doing our best to exclude ourselves from it.

[Jambomo]

The domestic scene changes though - how would this work with some kind of Super-league? Would the teams that have bad seasons like Chelsea/Man Utd drop back to EPL football? In years gone by the likes of Man City would be nowhere near but you'd  think they'd want them in now - what happens when the teams in domestic leagues continue to attract investment and perhaps become bigger than the Super-league teams?

 

In all honesty its the usual from the Governing bodies, making rules to the keep the big teams winning and strong and preventing anyone from disrupting that. This years Champions League has only been a bit more interesting dues to Atletico doing well, watching the same sides play each other every year isn't anymore exciting than watching the usual league teams facing each other, however much they try to pretend it is.

[newcastle broon]

With Hibs back in the Europa League, it seems we are doing our best to exclude ourselves from it.

1st British team played in Europe don't forget

[topcat(The most tip top)]

1st British team played in Europe don't forget

Of course in the light of these new proposals it's worth remembering that Hibs weren't there on merit

Plus ça change plus c'est la même chose

[Melany]

I don't think it is that much serious, don't panic and stay calm. It will be figured out some way withous us any way)