tyke
Head Pro
On the flip side it would be interesting to see The New Saints (winners of the Welsh PL) being drawn against the likes of Barcelona!!
It's a load of nonsense. Champions League should be just that.
Why don't they call it the Finished Fourth But Still Get In League?
It's a crock of keech that you can get two teams from the same country contesting the final!
It's all about the money
Why don't they call it the Finished Fourth But Still Get In League?
It's a crock of keech that you can get two teams from the same country contesting the final!
It's all about the money
Crow
Crow Person
FairwayDodger put the telling line in early on; "it's all about money".
There weas a time when the difference between leagues and clubs was not so great but with the huge amount of money going into the game now via the likes of (dare I say it?) Sky and their ilk, and the totally uneven distribution of that money means that football will never return to those golden years.
There weas a time when the difference between leagues and clubs was not so great but with the huge amount of money going into the game now via the likes of (dare I say it?) Sky and their ilk, and the totally uneven distribution of that money means that football will never return to those golden years.
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
It is quite disgraceful....all this tosh about 'Fair Play' with Champions League banners and youngsters carrying posters and it is a rotten fix before the event even kicks off.
Hearts v Liverpool last year shows how close the EPl and SPL are and yet England get THREE full places.
Starting to get as bad as The Eurovision song thingy........at least you can laugh at that.
Hearts v Liverpool last year shows how close the EPl and SPL are and yet England get THREE full places.
Starting to get as bad as The Eurovision song thingy........at least you can laugh at that.
Liverbirdie
Ryder Cup Winner
Hey you, leave Liverpool out of it.
We are in no way representative of good EPL teams at the moment.
:whoo:
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birdieman
Guest
I'm going to buck the trend here and say (as someone old enough to watch the European Cup in its old format) that the Champions League, despite it faults, is a fantastic product that provides many great matches right through the season and has been great to watch for the last 20 years or so.
Yes the champion clubs of all the diddy countries dont get so much of a chance these days but they do still get a chance. A European league was always on the cards and ECL is the next best thing. It's the same clubs by and large winning now under CL as won it under its old format.
Perhaps as Celtic made the knockout phase they should get in ahead of some domestic league 3rd place teams but maybe if they have another good run next season that'll happen.
I was a bit confused as to how Wembley got the final again so soon after hosting in 2011? And how did Germany get it again in 2015 with Berlin after Allianz arena in 2012?
I love the Champions League despite minnow clubs not faring as much as they once did but I want to watch the best teams and best players and ECL offers that.
Yes the champion clubs of all the diddy countries dont get so much of a chance these days but they do still get a chance. A European league was always on the cards and ECL is the next best thing. It's the same clubs by and large winning now under CL as won it under its old format.
Perhaps as Celtic made the knockout phase they should get in ahead of some domestic league 3rd place teams but maybe if they have another good run next season that'll happen.
I was a bit confused as to how Wembley got the final again so soon after hosting in 2011? And how did Germany get it again in 2015 with Berlin after Allianz arena in 2012?
I love the Champions League despite minnow clubs not faring as much as they once did but I want to watch the best teams and best players and ECL offers that.
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Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
I believe that UEFA brought it back to Wembley as part of the FA's 150th anniversary celebrations. Why it has gone back to Germany again so soon I have no idea.
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thecraw
Guest
Basically because its like the Ryder Cup, money buys it. UEFA corrupt to the core.
There main aim is to make the rich richer and throw scraps to the rest.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Surely the job of any business is to make money?
Getting matches where shamrock rovers play genk doesn't draw in the neutrals, so the likes of sky don't make any money.
Uefa are a business, and they have to deliver the product that the public want to see. Sadly, that isn't the minnows getting humped by the big boys. It's the big boys going toe to toe.
Getting matches where shamrock rovers play genk doesn't draw in the neutrals, so the likes of sky don't make any money.
Uefa are a business, and they have to deliver the product that the public want to see. Sadly, that isn't the minnows getting humped by the big boys. It's the big boys going toe to toe.
FairwayDodger
Money List Winner
And therein lies the problem..... it used to be a sport.
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thecraw
Guest
The big boys will go toe to toe in later rounds as was always the case when it was run on a fairer basis. The distribution of wealth and the closed shop is the issue. As per my main point Celtic are champions and have to play qualifying rounds yet Chelsea don't. Its pathetic. The distribution of the wealth means that Celtic despite being one of the biggest teams in Europe will never compete on a level playing field.
If Shamrock Rovers get a pay day it allows them to invest in the future which is better for the game all round.
Now don't get me started on what Sky have done to football.
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birdieman
Guest
Without Sky we would never have seen Ronaldo/Asprilla/Zola/Desailly/Alonso/Cantona etc etc playing in England so it's not all bad.
As an Aberdeen fan my club is never going to feature in the champions league so in that regard I am a neutral and just want to see top level football on a Tue/Wed evening. I don't want to watch Lech Poznan, Malmo, AEK Athens and such like, I would rather watch 3 top Italian teams like Inter, Milan and Juve any day.
When Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup under Fergie, in the whole tournament over the season they played only 3 interesting games, the 2 leg qtr v Bayern and the final itself against Madrid. European Cup went on the same basis back then and the viewing public these days need more top games than that.
Champions league is a bit of a misnomer I agree but it is what it is and lets us watch arguably the best football ever played with teams like Barca 2006/2009 several times a season. For the neutral like me its perfect.
As an Aberdeen fan my club is never going to feature in the champions league so in that regard I am a neutral and just want to see top level football on a Tue/Wed evening. I don't want to watch Lech Poznan, Malmo, AEK Athens and such like, I would rather watch 3 top Italian teams like Inter, Milan and Juve any day.
When Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup under Fergie, in the whole tournament over the season they played only 3 interesting games, the 2 leg qtr v Bayern and the final itself against Madrid. European Cup went on the same basis back then and the viewing public these days need more top games than that.
Champions league is a bit of a misnomer I agree but it is what it is and lets us watch arguably the best football ever played with teams like Barca 2006/2009 several times a season. For the neutral like me its perfect.
bladeplayer
Money List Winner
Agree totaly... but unless Shamrock Rovers , Genk, Hearts an all these other teams get to dine at the top table they are never going to have the finances to build teams to make them watchable by the neutrals .. and the gulf between the mighty & the poor widens all the time
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
One of the biggest teams in Europe? Surely the reason that they win one of the smaller European leagues each season is the closed shop and distribution of wealth in their domestic league. Jeez, it's not even a 2 horse race north of the border any more since Rangers were banished. To compare them with Chelsea who are competing in a much tougher league, have made 2 finals in the last 5 years plus semi-finals and who won the junior European competition this year with a team who won the competition 46 years ago is stretching a point. It's a Champions League in name only, and has been since inception. And it won't change under FFP.
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thecraw
Guest
Typical English response. Globally Celtic are every bit as big if not bigger than Chelsea. Chelsea have ridden the Sky cash cow along with an open chequebook from the sugar daddy owner. Scottish football doesn't have the finance to compete. Its stretching nothing that is fact.
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
Celtic are a much bigger team than Chelsea. Always have been and probably always will be.
It is not their fault that they play in a smaller league and are denied the Sky money that falls like confetti to the English clubs.
The second rate teams RELEGATED from the EPL next season like Hull, Palace/Watford, Southhampton and Wigan will receive a £60,000,000 parachute payment..........that is just plain crazy.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Surely the word that should be used is "better" not "bigger"
Without digging I can't agree or disagree with Celtic being "bigger" than Chelsea but they're by no stretch of the imagination better than them....
If Celtic played Chelsea 6 times over a season I'd be surprised if Celtic won more than 1 of the games....
"Big" clubs include Newcastle, Villa and the likes - they're no better than average sides....
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thecraw
Guest
Totally blinkered view.
Celtic are a bigger Club than Chelsea without a shadow of a doubt the fact that they are split by an uneven distribution of wealth is neither here nor there. Celtic averaged over 46k per home game which is down on last year Chelsea averaged 41 per home game. Given the gulf in standard of the teams that Celtic fans watch that also tells a story.
I'm not saying Celtic are better than Chelsea I'm saying they ARE a bigger club.
Now take this back to the Champions League if Celtic were given the same chances and opportunities as the closed shop teams of the CL Celtic would thrive.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Meaning what?
More people go to see them at a home match than Chalsea - don't forget London has 3 of the better teams in the PL within a few miles.
If you want a BIG club then Newcastle average over 50k at home - big deal, they just avoided relegation.
Why does being a "big" club entitle you to European competiton?
There's no "closed shop" in the CL - you have to qualify for it no matter who you are. If ManU finished 5th they wouldn't get in it no matter how many fans, how much money they generate. If Barca finish 5th - same thing....
The way it is, Celtic have to qualify because the standard of Scottish football simply isn't good enough.
How "big" the club is has no relevence.
So Celtic need to find an Abramovich to bank-roll them.
Then they can attract better players, win the league easier and get further in the CL each year. Once they've done that they'll get an automatic spot as Champions.
Untill then it's Pre-qualifying...
Size of your gate has nothing to do with it.
stevie_r
Tour Winner
Quoting attendances over simplifies things I feel. Celtic sold around 73% of their seats this season, Chelsea 98.5, not forgetting that a number of seats are always lost to provide segregation. Fact of the matter is that Chelsea probably can't develop Stamford Bridge any further, if they had greater capacity then their average would no doubt be higher.
