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urban.spaceman

Europa League Qualification. Worth it or not?

By urban.spaceman, in Leicester City Forum

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urban.spaceman

urban.spaceman

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A poisoned chalice? Verdict on whether Leicester City should be putting all their eggs in the Europa League basket

City are still in the race for seventh in the Premier League

  • 10:00, 17 FEB 2019
  • Updated10:47, 17 FEB 2019
1_GettyImages-838823210.jpg The UEFA Europa League Cup Trophy. (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Leicester City are locked in a battle for seventh this season alongside a cluster of Premier League teams vying for qualification to the Europa League.

The Foxes still have a potential European place very much in their sights as we head into the back end of the campaign.

But should Claude Puel and his men pursue a spot in Europe? Should they go all out to give themselves the best possible chance of returning to one of Europe's elite competitions?

Here we take a look at the good, bad and the ugly of finishing in seventh place, a position so often referred to as a 'poisoned chalice', and assess whether City should be targeting a another European campaign.

Financial rewards

Finance makes up so much of modern football and part of the assessment of whether City should go for Europa League football has to be related to money.

City are in a very good position financially, but they could still do with Europa league prize money to boost their bank balance with a new training ground on the horizon.

 

The early stages of the Europa league bring little reward in comparison to prize money in, for example, the Premier League, but over the course of the competition, teams can pick up large sums of cash with a good run.

Qualifying through seventh in the Premier League gets you into the second qualifying round which is rewarded by €260,000 in prize money. That goes up to €280,000 for the third-round and €300,000 for the play-off round.

  

Reaching the actual Europa League competition nets each qualifying a club a massive €2.92m and from there, every group stage win brings in €570,000, every draw €190,000.

Each group winner receives an extra €1m as well as the €500,000 for going through and the group runner-up gets €500,000 rounding the prize money for going through in second place up to €1m.

From there, progression to the Round of 16 is rewarded with €1.1m, the quarter-final with £1.5m and the semi-final €2.4m.

The losing finalist earns an extra €4.5m from the final while the winner gets another €8.5m in prize money.

The potential total winnings for winning the competition from the second qualifying stage is a whopping €16.54m.

How do teams fare when battling Europe?

Qualifying for Europa League through seventh place is often seen as a poisoned challice. That's because if you achieve it, depending on domestic cup winner, you start your season in the third round of qualifying towards the end of July. That would be the case this season.

By the time a team gets to the Group Stage of the Europa League via this route, they have already played six qualifying games, often including lengthy journeys.

That's on top of all the Thursday night games during the season if you reach the competition itself.

Hence the question of whether it's really worth it.

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Burnley during their Europa League qualifier with Olympiacos. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Burnley qualified via seventh last season, progressing through to the final round of qualifying during the summer, only to lose to Olympiacos at the final stage.

Still, though, their season has been effected. They are now battling out relegation, sitting in 15th place.

Coincidence? History suggests not.

West Ham got off to a disastrous start in 2016/17 after competing in the Europa League qualifiers, though they did manage to steady the ship to finish 11th.

Athletic Club went from 7th to 16th in La Liga after competing in two rounds of qualifiers last season.

And many argue Sevilla have missed out on a La Liga title race this season, sitting in fourth and looking extremely leggy following an early start to the season featuring three qualifying rounds.

European experience

Leicester City know first-hand the effect the European football can have on a league campaign.

The Premier League win allowed the Foxes to have the time of their lives in the Champions League during the following, 2016/17 season.

City, of course, reached the quarter-final of the competition, a fine achievement. But domestically it didn't go so well.

League-winning manager Claudio Ranieri was sacked by February and City had to make to with a 12th-place finish.

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Leicester fans ahead of their Champions League Quarter Final with Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Those players who remain from that season will know just how big a toll European football can have on the body and City fans will know just how difficult it is to build a squad sufficiently big and indeed good enough to compete both on the European and domestic stage.

Are City ready?

In terms of the squad, the short answer is no, but that's normal. They weren't prepared for European football this season, nor did they need to be.

If they did secure qualification for the qualifying rounds ahead of next season, they would have to build a bigger squad and ensure there are enough layers of quality from the starting players to those who are rotated in.

Teams like Burnley and Athletic Club, who were mentioned above, have proven that you must have a large squad to cope with Europe, the league and all the domestic cups.

 

It's the old adage of fail to prepare...and you know the rest.

City would have to invest in a bigger and better squad, and they would also need to put in a solid pre-season with a tougher fitness regime.

That would have to start earlier, and with that in mind, this is probably a good season to give it a go with international players having no commitments next summer.

What going for it means

It's all well and good saying 'let's go for it' but it's also important to be aware of what going for it really entails, what the alternatives are.

In terms of what City would be missing out on by going for seventh, the main factor would be the development of youth.

This is a young squad, one of the youngest in the Premier League and it's one that's full of players who still have so much to learn.

Some players learn the most under pressure, some the complete opposite. By not going for it this season, by not applying pressure, the City youngsters have a chance to play with freedom, with expression - manager permitting - and Claude Puel will also have the chance to blood some of the up and coming prospects.

  

If they go all out for seventh, that won't be the case with every point being crucial from now until the season's end.

On the flip side, going for it may give Claude Puel a chance. He hasn't got the majority support of the King Power as things stand and playing youngsters, putting development before results is probably going to worsen his position.

If he's playing his 'best' team week-in, week-out and manages to put together a run towards seventh, he's got a much better shot at getting at least some fans back on board.

Could it all be pointless?

Yes. Seventh spot doesn't guarantee you European football, so by going all out to finish seventh, you could be risking a lot for little reward.

To qualify via seventh place, one of the top six has to win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. There's a tick next to the former with Chelsea and Manchester City in the final.

 

However, City, if they are truly interested in seventh, need to hope one of the three top six teams remaining in the FA Cup can progress far enough to lift the trophy.

Manchester City and one of Chelsea and Manchester United - who play each other on Monday - must win the FA Cup, otherwise the winner of the historic competition will qualify for Europe and seventh place in the Premier League means nothing as far as European qualification is concerned.

The expert view

Rob Tanner

Verdict: Go for it

"Finishing seventh and, depending on who shares out the silverware, potentially qualifying for the Europa League may seem like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

"An early start to the season, possible treks to far flung and remote places, a heavily congested fixture backlog – it has proven to be a poisoned chalice for many Premier League sides.

"Burnley this season are testament to that. Their Europa League ‘adventure’ has impacted on their league season and proven to be a distraction. Now the Clarets face a fight for survival.

"It could be argued that City’s Champions League experience provided a similar problem and led to the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

Claude Puel ahead of Leicester City's clash with Spurs at Wembley
Claude Puel ahead of Leicester City's clash with Spurs at Wembley (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City via Getty Images)

"However, finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe would still be an achievement, one that should be welcomed after a traumatic season.

"The late Khun Vichai wanted to see City compete in Europe, to fight against top sides.

"After all the issues of this roller coaster of a campaign, to seal seventh and become the best of the rest, regardless of whether that led to European football or not, would be a much-needed tonic.

"It would be great for morale amongst Claude Puel’s emerging young side and provide good experience. It would also keep the wolves from the door of Puel’s office for a while longer too."

Jordan Blackwell

Verdict: Go for it

"While the Europa League may be the less glamorous little sister of the glitzy Champions League, a return to European competition for City would be welcomed.

"The Champions League run of 2016-17, City's first European experience since 2000, was the icing on the title-winning cake and provided some truly memorable moments.

"The draw was kind and City were handed a backpacker's dream European tour, the club heading to Bruges, Copenhagen, Porto, Seville and Madrid. At home, under the King Power Stadium lights, the games were thrilling and the atmosphere exhilarating. The Europa League will not match these heights.

  

"The opponents are unlikely to be European giants, while the destinations won't be so tourist-friendly, particularly in the opening rounds. But it provides new teams for City to face, new countries to explore, a new competition to try to win.

"Yes, a Europa League run would undoubtedly affect City's Premier League form, but they have the resources to give it a good go, and it would certainly inject some excitement that has so slowly dwindled since the Champions League effort."

Jamie Kemble

Verdict: Go for it

"Europa League football is often looked down on upon those who are in, or have experienced the Champions League, but that shouldn't be the case. It's come on leaps and bounds and anyone who has witnessed a fixture live, will know that the games can be great occasions. Little can beat a European night.

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Leicester City manager Claude Puel during his side's match against Manchester United(Image: Plumb Images/Getty Images)

"Teams like Chelsea and Manchester United have shown just how much you can get out of the Europa League, benefiting from Champions League qualification, a heap of prize money and plenty of occasions to remember along the way.

"City, meanwhile, have proved that, as a club, they are ready for such experiences. In terms of the squad, there's work to be done, they would need to add a good few bodies in the summer to cope with the demand, but with no international competition in the summer, it's well worth going for.

"As long as they prepare properly in the summer, City, should they qualify, will get to see all the glamour of the Europa League and none of the domestic consequences."

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/poisoned-chalice-verdict-whether-leicester-2547738

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davieG

davieG

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Seems a silly debate, we should be going for the highest league placing whether we've got people to bed in or systems to try. It's not as if the team's going to go out thinking well it doesn't matter if we don't win this game.

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TMELcfc

TMELcfc

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Here's my simplistic answer (from a simple person...)

 

For a club wanting to win the league, no, it isn't worth it.. it 'gets in the way' and fans of clubs expecting to win the league are almost embarrassed / ashamed to be competing in it...

 

For a club like Leicester... it is absolutely worth it! I loved every second of watching us in Champions league and not only that, it gave us an even more global presence (albeit winning the league did that on it's own I guess). It is a battle worth taking up in my opinion.

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Fox92

Fox92

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We're only 7 behind, it's only Feb, and Wolves still have Bournemouth/Manchester United/Chelsea/Liverpool all to play. That said, they usually turn up for the big games. Watford are doing well but we're only 5 off them with them to play.

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Nicolo Barella

Nicolo Barella

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Prize money barely comes into the equation. The only finishing spot that gives a club a chance of making real money is 1st, because of CL.

 

That said, obviously finishing 7th and getting Europe would be the ideal (let's be real, Watford aren't beating Manchester City to the Cup title). We already have much of the squad we would need, with decent backups in most positions, and I imagine we would be looking to rectify the positions that don't have adequate backups anyway. 

 

We will have, optimistically

Striker: Vardy, (Iheanacho, New Signing)

Wings: Barnes, Gray (Albrighton, Diabate)

No. 10: Maddison (Ghezzal)

Midfield: Tielemans, Ndidi, (Hamza, Mendy

Fullback: Chilwell, Ricardo (Amartey, New Signing)

Centreback: Maguire, Evans (Soyuncu, Benkovic)

Goal: Kasper (Ward)

 

That should be enough to go deep into the comp with a little luck. We can play the obvious downgrades like Diabaté and Amartey against poorer teams (there will be many). It will also be another opportunity to field youth in all comps - more competitive fixtures means more chances for youth to take up some of the workload. 

 

It would raise our prestige, probably make us more attractive in the short term to the likes of Tielemans, and provided we managed our pre season and those awful, awful qualifying round fixtures correctly. 

 

And, if we did manage to actually win and qualify to the CL (of course it's supremely unlikely, probably more unlikely than finishing 6th in the PL, but EL winners are sometimes around our level), we would be in a GREAT place.

 

And to all the naysayers who claim we can't make it this year - sure we can! Half the midtable will head to the beach once they've hit safety, and the others aren't particularly better or worse than us, really.

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katieakita

katieakita

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No brainer of course it has to be worth it. Firstly ever place you finish higher in the PL earns a decent chunk something like 1 to 2 million extra and it gives more opportunity to play the 25 man squad rather than what we are doing at the moment with players not playing on a regular basis. It also gives the club revenue from gate receipts that even if prices are lowered and shared will still bring in extra revenue

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