davieG Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 European football's governing body Uefa is considering ditching the Europa League in favour of extending the Champions League from 32 to 64 teams. "We're discussing it. We will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet," Uefa president Michel Platini told French newspaper Ouest-France. It means seven English clubs and five Scottish teams could enter at a qualifying round stage. Uefa are looking at changing the format of European competitions from 2015 "There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018," added Platini. The Champions League is a far more lucrative competition than Europe's second-tier tournament, while the Europa League has also been criticised by some since it replaced the Uefa Cup in 2009. Last week Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said the Europa League was more difficult to negotiate than the Champions League because of its "heavier schedule" and Thursday night kick-offs. Despite that, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas - who won the competition with Porto in 2011 - has said he could not understand why the tournament was viewed as a punishment in England. It has been reported that Europe's richest clubs are planning to form a breakaway European league. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said earlier this month that he would like to cut the number of teams competing in the top tier of domestic leagues and expand the Champions League. But Platini, a former France international, said he was not worried by talk of a tournament to rival the Champions League being set up. "It's a question that is regularly brought up," he said. "I can't see how it could work outside the Uefa framework. Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play?"
davieG Posted 28 November 2012 Author Posted 28 November 2012 Or Breakaway Euro league in 2014! Barcelona chief Rosell rocks football with threat to UEFA Barcelona president Sandro Rosell insists a breakaway European league will start in 2014 unless UEFA gives in to demands from the major clubs. The main aim of Rosell's revolution is for the likes of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga to cut the number of teams from 20 to 16 in order to expand the Champions League. This would enable big hitters like Barca to free up weekends for glamour friendlies or Champions League matches which would attract massive worldwide television audiences. Rosell is chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) and their deal - a memorandum of understanding - with UEFA expires in 2014. He said: 'If UEFA and the ECA reach an agreement, we would like to increase the Champions League under the umbrella of UEFA. If not, the ECA is entitled to organise their own champions competition.' Speaking at the Aspire 4 Sport conference in Qatar, he added: '(Reducing the number of teams in the league) is something all of them would have to agree to. 'That includes the Premier League, who would have to reduce from 20 to 16 (teams). 'If you explain the idea properly, at the end of the day it's the best way of implementing the competitions in the near future. 'We want a bigger Champions League and hope one day we could play perhaps Barcelona versus Manchester United on Saturdays. 'That's what we are aiming for but to increase doesn't necessarily mean to do it with UEFA.' Rosell also wants a revamp of international football and believes the governing bodies should pay players' wages during major tournaments. He added: 'We have to review completely the calendar of UEFA and FIFA. They use our players for, I think, about 120 days every two years. 'We don't think it's fair we pay the salaries and they use our players and get other income by using our players. 'They need to reduce their own calendar, especially taking out friendlies. 'We hope FIFA and UEFA will hear what we want to tell them. The worst-case scenario is we'll go away from UEFA.' Manchester United chief executive David Gill was in Zurich last week to meet ECA members. Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz2DWEv3bXM Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Rocket-Ron Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 I think UEFA made a mistake when they had the Europa league made into group stages. Had they left it a straight knockout tournament as it used to be would have made it far more interesting.
isaidno Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 How can they still call it the 'champions' league when they want to let in teams that finish 7th, and probably haven't been champions of anything for years. As for letting in 5 scottish teams
Corky Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Maybe now the lower European teams from England will realise the Europa League isn't all that bad and might be worth trying to win, because they won't have a chance in this thing if it happens.
Captain... Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Agree with scrapping the Europa league, but not with extending the champions league that much. Don't mind cup winners entering the champs league, I would propose a secondary european league/cup where the winners, get entry into the champions league.
ealingfox Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Agree with scrapping the Europa league, but not with extending the champions league that much. Don't mind cup winners entering the champs league, I would propose a secondary european league/cup where the winners, get entry into the champions league. That's it though, the Europa League winners should get a Champions League place. Clubs would take it more seriously if that was the prize, and the Europa League winners will obviously always be good enough for a place in the CL group stages.
Father Ted Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 No! I haven't given up hope of us playing in Europe in the next few years, if this happened it would be practically impossible. The Europa league gives average Prem sides an opportunity of some European football. Massively against the idea and the only real motive behind it is money again!
definitely not finners Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Keep it as it is just make the Europa League winner go into the CL instead of the 4th placed English or Spanish club or something so there's proper incentive to win it.
Jon the Hat Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Not a bad idea. Wouldn't be the Champions league, but a League of strong European teams. If you stop thinking about it as a cup competition then I can see a situation where you basically have country leagues which feed seeded leagues (groups) which feed the actual knock out cup stages. This is the harmonisation of our leagues into one rather than a cup.
Kitchandro Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 The Champions League has too many clubs as it is, it's boring as hell until the knockout stages. I just don't care about these nobodies from Romania who are never going to win it. If it was up to me, it would be more like the old European Cup. As for the Europa, it's an absolutely pointless competition, nobody in England is bothered because you have to play an obscene amount of games before it gets serious. I don't get why 2nd rate top division clubs should have a European tournament, in fact sometimes it's second rate Championship clubs who are in it. European competitions should be for Europe's elite. The FA Cup will be obsolete sooner or later. I think the winner of that should be thrust into the Champions League with the domestic League champions, instead of this top 4 bollocks.
davieG Posted 28 November 2012 Author Posted 28 November 2012 Why don't they just cut to the chase and piss off and set up their European League and take the Sky money with them because it's obvious that's what they want.
keithweller Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 League Winners - Knockout only version of the champions league Next 3 teams and league cup winners - knockout only version of the europa league FA cup winners - some kind of knockout competition which pits national cup winners against each other crazy idea though, cant see it catching on...
davieG Posted 28 November 2012 Author Posted 28 November 2012 League Winners - Knockout only version of the champions league Next 3 teams and league cup winners - knockout only version of the europa league FA cup winners - some kind of knockout competition which pits national cup winners against each other crazy idea though, cant see it catching on... Deja Vu!
Guesty Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Not suprised by this. The Europa League doesn't really have a prize worth winning. Almost every team that gets into it sees their league form drop so a lot of teams play the reserves. They should really have given the winner of the Europa League a bye into the Champions League that way there is a proper incentive. But the reputation of the Europa League is unretrevable I think. I'd only be infavour of expanding the Champs League if the format stayed the same except there were a lot more knockout ties for all the lower placed teams before the group stages. Realistically you might have to have a few extra groups in that stage like 2 or 3. Might actually make the group stage more competitive if weaker teams from lesser nations get eliminated. I still wish the Champions League was just for Champions but theres too much money to be made to go back to that.
foxfanazer Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Terrible idea! How are these people in charge of the game? Top 2 from each European country to qualify and that's it
purpleronnie Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 I bet scottish football is rubbing their hands together.
leicsmac Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Why don't they just cut to the chase and piss off and set up their European League and take the Sky money with them because it's obvious that's what they want. Exactly this.
Super_horns Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 Money talks but will the big clubs want to share revenue out between more clubs?
Captain... Posted 28 November 2012 Posted 28 November 2012 That's it though, the Europa League winners should get a Champions League place. Clubs would take it more seriously if that was the prize, and the Europa League winners will obviously always be good enough for a place in the CL group stages. The problem is though that it is a hell of a long way to go to get a CL place, and seeing as the best teams in the Europa league are normally CL drop outs, in the current format, then they would probably qualify for the CL anyway through their league, I know it was kind of my suggestion anyway but I would structure it differently. So what we want is an elite competition and a secondary competition that feeds the elite competition. So how about the champions league is made up of 8 domestic champions, from the strongest leagues in Europe, the other 8 come from the secondary competition, which is structured as 8 leagues of 6, so 10 games spread out over the season, played on alternate weeks to the CL, only the winners of these mini leagues actually get a CL place. So 16 teams in the CL with a group stage + knockout 48 teams in the secondary competition after qualifying (as it is now). These numbers may need tweaking, but it gives meaning to the secondary competition, whilst having a different format to the CL gives it more interest, it will result in the make up of the CL changing a lot as those in the CL one year can only qualify by winning the league and can't qualify through the secondary tournament. So if Barca and Madrid are in the CL one year only one will be in it the following year, (unless one win the league and the other the CL).
BoneDog Posted 29 November 2012 Posted 29 November 2012 "Glamour Friendlies". Ooooh aren't football fans in for a treat.
Heart-Shaped Fox Posted 29 November 2012 Posted 29 November 2012 Uefa cup as pure knockout was much better, better for teams and shcedules and more exciting
AyewJoking Posted 29 November 2012 Posted 29 November 2012 dont like the sound of this, just more mediocre teams playing boring football with the same old teams ending up in the quarter finals. We better go up soon if we dont want to miss out!
goose2010 Posted 29 November 2012 Posted 29 November 2012 Champions league should top two teams only and Europa league 3rd and 4th straight Knockout no messing no seeding either then bring back the cup winners cup for you guessed it the two cup winners. Champs League played on a Tuesday Night, Europa League played on a wednesday. This then meaning no need for half the prem to play Saturday and half Sunday they can all play Saturday apart from 2 games that are chose for TV on a Sunday.
RonnieTodger Posted 29 November 2012 Posted 29 November 2012 Scrap the Europa League and bring back the Cup Winners' Cup.
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