'Elite' clubs want to change CL qualification.

[Christian Slater]

City losing out to United is a common theme throughout history.

 

[Super_horns]

I bet Jose/Wenger and the like really want to be having to send teams across the world in mid-week games just so the money men can make their millions again.

They moan enough as it is about the fixtures schedule!

 

[irish-stu]

This all cam about because big name clubs are starting to worry about whether they can stay in the champions league, look at whats happened to Milan and Inter, money situation in Spain is no longer designed soley to give as much as possible to Real and Barca may tip the balance in the future if all the clubs start getting the same money.

Basically they went crying to UEFA because they don't want to lose there places and the money so get UEFA to make it easier for them.

 

[Roque Santa Cruz]

The current CL format increases the gab between the big leagues (la Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League) and the smaller leagues. It's extremely unfair and the Champions League should be a tournament for champions only.

 

[mistermagic]

The current CL format increases the gab between the big leagues (la Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League) and the smaller leagues. It's extremely unfair and the Champions League should be a tournament for champions only.

It really shouldn't. What a boring competition that would be.

 

[Roque Santa Cruz]

Boring? Then why it's called 'champions league'? The CL format only favors the rich leagues, while it's devastating for the minor leagues. The uefa should try to decrease the gab between the European leagues.

 

[The Mustard Tiger]

Whilst I think the idea is admirable to just have champions in the competition, do you think that having teams like Europa, Kukes and New Saints at the expense of Barcelona, Dortmund and PSG would be beneficial? I remember there being two group stages when I was younger which was way too much.

If anything, drop the 4th place team gaining entry for the higher rated leagues and replace them with either cup winners or teams from so called "lesser leagues".

 

[Roque Santa Cruz]

As a Dutchman I find it frustrating and mostly extremely unfair that the champion of smaller leagues, like the Dutch one, even have to play a qualifying round for the group stage of the CL, while the big leagues have 4 guaranteed spots. Of course, it's all about money and teams from the big leagues are way more interesting in terms of sponsors, stadium attendance and television audiences

 

[Cornish Piskie]

deleted.

 

[Ale18]

Ceferin:

“We must dare to rethink our models, in particular to establish greater competitive balance, one of the greatest challenges facing the future and present of football,” Ceferin said.

“The club game still requires our serious attention. We must dream big, but I cannot promise you the moon because I am not a merchant of dreams and I am not a politician.

“I will fight tooth and nail to introduce measures which restore some balance, but I cannot claim that this will result in a club such as Steaua Bucharest or Red Star Belgrade being next to have their name engraved on Champions League trophy.”


I think every year that passes will make the competitions increasingly reserved for the elite of world football and this is nothing pleasant

 

[Cornish Piskie]

I've been reading for a while about proposals that went around in the 1980's and 90's for an independent European Super League outside of the UEFA set up, whereby the rich and powerful would drop out of their domestic league and play in a "closed shop" without promotion or relegation.

Of course, it never came to pass because there were all sorts of unresolveable issues, such as a threat by UEFA and FIFA to declare players who took the option to play in this league illegible to represent their country or participate in national and international cup competitions.

It seems to me that the Champions / Europa Leagues might have been a compromise. And a very lucrative one at that with television money.... sponsorship.... and so on. The big boys got what they wanted.... a competition as good as ring-fenced from which they would take more than the lions' share of the deluge of money that was certain to come from the move. And so it has proved.

We all know that the current system is inequitable, but the big clubs hold all the power and have no interest in the have-nots. I don't like it any more than anybody else who truly cares about sport. But it's not just the clubs themselves...... Ask any Manchester United or Barcelona or Bayern Munich fan if they would give up their place in the Champions League to Malmo or Red Star Belgrade. Answers on the back of a postage stamp, please.

The only fair and equitable answer would be to return to a competition involving the Champions of every league under the UEFA umbrella, but that's just not going to happen. The big clubs won't have it and the sponsors and TV companies would pull their very lucrative plugs in a heartbeat.

Football wants the money, and he who pays the piper, calls the tune.

 

[Super_horns]

Looks like they are making changes to suit the bigger nations.

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2499801.html#/

 

[Ale18]

You're right Cornish Piskie

but..

Do you like to see a competition where only 4, 5, maybe 6 clubs can win?

And we are only at the beginning .. in a few years you will want to attend this event .. in which the roll of honor always alternates the same.

not me. I will be among those who will no longer follow the competition.