Will we qualify for the CL?

[edgysatsuma89]

All I know is that if next season we are playing the likes Bačka Topola, I will not be able to gee myself up for it. I know that makes me snobbish considering where we were under Gerrard, but I won't be able to change my gut reaction.

The Europa League is at least more prestigious and another way into the Champions League.

[cdbearsfan]

I quite like seeing teams from mad countries like that. Just convinced we'd win it because we're bottlers and worry it could inhibit our chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Plus... hate Sunday matched. I'd still be attending matches if we qualify though.

[Drummond]

So are you all saying you wouldn't go to Villa v Dortmund tie? They currently hold the Conf League Sport in Germany. Lyon/Nice in France, Osasuna in Spain, Roma in Italy......Alkmaar or Twente in Netherlands..... Besiktas in Turkey.

There are decent teams going to be in it. It's European Football under the lights. It may even be Hibernian again, or Aberdeen.

It's not the same as Bayern, PSG and Juve, but's not too dissimilar to Celtic, Brugge and Bologna.

[Ads]

Best European game of the past two seasons was in a cage at a single sided ground that you only got to by turning Frankfurt Airport into Birmingham on Sea.

We won't qualify for it, but I'd not turn my nose up at the chance to make more life long memories.

[Somniloquism]

Final venues for 2026 are,,,,,

European Cup:         Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary. 67k
Uefa Cup :               Besiktas Park, Istanbul, Turkey.  42k
Cup Winners Cup:    RB Arena, Leipzig, Germany  45k

For 2027
EC:       Maybe San Siro but not confirmed. 71.5k
UC :      Stadion Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. 58k
CWC:    Besiktas Park, Istanbul, Turkey.  42k

So we have two attempts at getting "our night in Istanbul" moment.

[Drummond]

I can see Villa Park being used for a Final again when the North is extended.

[Dave]

I don't know why anybody would be indignant about fans feeling potential mild disappointment, in the context of what we could've achieved, in the event of a 7th place finish and Conference League? 

Mild disappointment is perfectly understandable. I'd say that medium or even mature disappointment would also be a reasonable reaction. If we'd finished second in the league and losing finalists in the Champions League, people would still have had justifiable grounds to feel disappointed even if it had been one of the best seasons in the last forty years.

However thinking that a competition that we would have been too shit to even think about for most of this century is now "a waste of space tournament" is exactly the sort of toss you'd expect from Man Utd or Chelsea fans.

As someone else alluded to further up the thread, maybe when we've actually won a trophy of some sort we can start being sniffy about which ones we're too important to bother with.

[Brazilian Villain]

So are you all saying you wouldn't go to Villa v Dortmund tie? They currently hold the Conf League Sport in Germany. Lyon/Nice in France, Osasuna in Spain, Roma in Italy......Alkmaar or Twente in Netherlands..... Besiktas in Turkey.

Roma would be cool. Great city, and we could wave Lazio shirts at them to wind them up. It's very effective in European ties, apparently.

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

I don't know why anybody would be indignant about fans feeling potential mild disappointment, in the context of what we could've achieved, in the event of a 7th place finish and Conference League? 

Mild disappointment is perfectly understandable. I'd say that medium or even mature disappointment would also be a reasonable reaction. If we'd finished second in the league and losing finalists in the Champions League, people would still have had justifiable grounds to feel disappointed even if it had been one of the best seasons in the last forty years.

However thinking that a competition that we would have been too shit to even think about for most of this century is now "a waste of space tournament" is exactly the sort of toss you'd expect from Man Utd or Chelsea fans.

As someone else alluded to further up the thread, maybe when we've actually won a trophy of some sort we can start being sniffy about which ones we're too important to bother with.

Absolutely correct. I’m amazed at some of what I’m reading. One season in The Champions League in 41 years and the Conference league is beneath us?! Do me a favour.

[aldridgeboy]

I don't know why anybody would be indignant about fans feeling potential mild disappointment, in the context of what we could've achieved, in the event of a 7th place finish and Conference League? 

Mild disappointment is perfectly understandable. I'd say that medium or even mature disappointment would also be a reasonable reaction. If we'd finished second in the league and losing finalists in the Champions League, people would still have had justifiable grounds to feel disappointed even if it had been one of the best seasons in the last forty years.

However thinking that a competition that we would have been too shit to even think about for most of this century is now "a waste of space tournament" is exactly the sort of toss you'd expect from Man Utd or Chelsea fans.

As someone else alluded to further up the thread, maybe when we've actually won a trophy of some sort we can start being sniffy about which ones we're too important to bother with.

Absolutely this

[Rigadon]

From another perspective, posters are being told that they're speaking 'toss' or being 'twats' for being honest about how they wouldn't be as excited about the Conference League as a) they might've been 2 years ago and b) because we've had a taste back in the big time.  I'm not sure it's altogether fair, but I'll stop trying to make the same point now.

[VillaTim]

Conf League is a big no for me . Drains the resources with too many extra games , League Games moved all over the place . Just Focus on the Domestics .

[OCD]

Chelsea basically had one team for Premier League and another for Conference League. You don't drain the resources if you do that.

[Flamingo Lane]

And if that's what's being recommended we do, and easier said than done anyway, it says everything that needs to be said about the value of the competition.

[PaulWinch again]

The competition is fine, but it shouldn’t be for the likes of us or Chelsea who are massively over resourced.