Champions League restructuring

[ChicagoLion]

You literally qualify for the Champions League if you win it. You also attract better players and are forced to have a deeper squad. Both of these things increase your chances of finishing in the top four.

You also have to play loads of matches and suffer disruptive travel. I think it is difficult to do that and reach the Top 4, which is going to be extremely difficult anyway. I accept there are 2 ways of looking at it.
I would enjoy some fun away days though.

[cdbearsfan]

The best teams are able to cope. If that's what we aspire to be, we should too. Extra games are extra opportunities to give players a game and makes it easier to keep hold of vital squad players who may not play every game in the Premier League.

The top four at the end of this season will likely all have played in Europe this campaign so it is hardly hardly insurmountable challenge. It is very rare, though admittedly not impossible, to go straight from not in Europe to top four. Europa League to Champions League is a natural progression.

We also seem to have lots of promising kids. It would be a great test for some of them to get the odd game here and there.

[AV82EC]

The best teams are able to cope. If that's what we aspire to be, we should too. Extra games are extra opportunities to give players a game and makes it easier to keep hold of vital squad players who may not play every game in the Premier League.

The top four at the end of this season will likely all have played in Europe this campaign so it is hardly hardly insurmountable challenge. It is very rare, though admittedly not impossible, to go straight from not in Europe to top four. Europa League to Champions League is a natural progression.

We also seem to have lots of promising kids. It would be a great test for some of them to get the odd game here and there.

I agree with cdbullyweefan.

[algy]

The best teams are able to cope. If that's what we aspire to be, we should too. Extra games are extra opportunities to give players a game and makes it easier to keep hold of vital squad players who may not play every game in the Premier League.

The top four at the end of this season will likely all have played in Europe this campaign so it is hardly hardly insurmountable challenge. It is very rare, though admittedly not impossible, to go straight from not in Europe to top four. Europa League to Champions League is a natural progression.

We also seem to have lots of promising kids. It would be a great test for some of them to get the odd game here and there.

Yeah, to be honest I'd be happy enough if we played our reserves in every game, so this season something like:

Heaton
Elmo - Engels - Hause - Taylor
Hourihane - Marv
Trez - Ramsay - AEG
Davis

Fair enough, we'd not win anything with that side. But all of those players would look match fit when we needed them in the first team, which is entirely the point. We need competition for every position on the pitch, which means even our 21st and 22nd best players need to be clocking up 20-odd appearances so that we can attract suitably good candidates.

[cdbearsfan]

You could play more first team players than that without too much risk. A mixture of reserves and first team players for the groups then go for it from the knockout stages.

[OCD]

Bring more of the kids through.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I love playing teams I hardly know anything about.

Something magical about European games, even if it's not in the Champion's League.

[algy]

Looks like the restructuring's going ahead ...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/16/champions-league-new-36-team-format-set-for-uefa-approval-on-monday

New 36-team Champions League format set for final Uefa approval on Monday

The Champions League’s controversial new 36-team format from 2024 is set for final approval by Uefa’s executive committee on Monday.

A decision had initially been expected on 31 March but was delayed due to some clubs within the European Club Association (ECA) seeking a greater say on commercial matters for the new competition.

Meetings of the ECA board and Uefa’s club competitions committee on Friday appear to have cleared the way for the new format to be rubber-stamped. It is understood the differences that led to the first delay have been set aside rather than resolved.

The expanded “Swiss style” format is a cause of concern for the Premier League and many other European domestic competitions, while on Friday morning fans’ groups wrote an open letter to the ECA’s chairman, Andrea Agnelli, criticising it.

Arsenal and Manchester United supporters’ groups accused their own clubs of being involved in a “blatant power grab” over plans to reform the Champions League.

The open letter to Agnelli, signed by 17 fans’ groups from 14 clubs who are represented on the ECA board, said: “Your plans to restructure the Champions League by increasing the number of games, introducing qualification based on past achievements, and monopolising commercial rights present a serious threat to the entire game.”

European football’s governing body will also make a final decision on host venues for Euro 2020, with Bilbao, Dublin and Munich the three cities yet to be confirmed of the original 12.

[N'ZMAV]

Whispers that this breakaway league is gathering pace. The sky 6 are involved apparently.
Something is meant to be going to press tonight.

[Nev]

Whispers that this breakaway league is gathering pace. The sky 6 are involved apparently.
Something is meant to be going to press tonight.

If the future is games such as that semi final last night, then it can't happen quick enough.

[aev]

Hope the PL kick the 6 out, as a closed shop European league surely devalues the PL itself.

[john2710]

Looks like there's 5 of the so called big six who've signed up to this new European Super League.
I'm assuming the 6 will be;
Man City
Liverpool
Man Utd
Chelsea
Spurs
Arsenal

Not sure if the last two have any particular claim to it. Anyway let them go, I won't miss them nor will I pay to watch...

[cdbearsfan]

It's those six plus Real and Atletico Madrid, Barcelon, Inter and AC Milan and Juventus. A "European" Super League consisting of clubs from just three countries and seven cities, and not including either of last year's European Cup finalists.

Hope they get kicked out of their domestic leagues, the new tournament proves a massive failure and they all have to start again at non-league level.

[Sexual Ealing]

Off they fuck then.

[N'ZMAV]

makes me laugh when BBC, SKY etc say "big 6"....

Spurs never win anything.... Blues and Wigan have won more than them in recent years. I know it's about revenue etc - but I'd be embarrassed to fuck if I was a Spurs fan to be put in that bile-filled category.