Comments on: Champions League and UEFA Cup Format Changes

By: rork

rork — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:34:59 +0000

does the winner of the europa league qualify for the champions league?

By: buffon13

buffon13 — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:54:50 +0000

The new UEFA cup format is good but the champions league will be almost impossible goal for teams from my country,bulgaria. iIt is good that we will have atleast one team in the UEFA cup. Platini must think more for teams from countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, Austria etc. Just think whata kind of teams are playing in those countries…CKSA Sofia, Levski sofia, Partizan Belgrade, Red Star Belgrade, Artmedia Bratislava, Legia Warsaw, Wisla Krakow, Rapid Wien, Austria Wien etc. I think these teams deserve to get a chance for the champions league! Not only UEFA cup is a tournament where they can show good games. Platini must give them a chance!!!

By: PeeJay

PeeJay — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:00:58 +0000

If I were Platini I’d bring back the 2nd group stage, give Associations 1-4 3 CL places, 2 to Associations 5-15 and 1 to the rest. I would then reinstate a second group stage and not have any quarter final draws so every team knows that they’re not gonna meet half the the other teams. This would make the UEFA Cup more exciting as teams like Fiorentina, Liverpool and AtlÃ©tico Madrid would be involved.
This would also stop teams from England, Spain and Italy qualifying for the CL when they end up 4th in the league.

By: Frankie

Frankie — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:05:45 +0000

I think the changes to the UEFA cup will make the competition far more attractive. The group stages will be simple and fall into line with the way just about every other major football competition is organised, from world cups to youth competitions.

Protracted or complicated group stages often dilute the excitement of the competition, as the FIFA world cup found out in 1982 with two group stages, and in following competitions with the best third-placed sides sneaking through to the knockout stages. EUFA also learnt that the public does not have a great appetite for protracted group stages and so reverted to a straight knock-out competiton after one group stage in the Champions League a few years back.

Fans will find the revamped EUFA cup format more attractive; as a result more people will turn up to watch and clubs will find it more of a money spinner. So everyone should be happy.

By: Andrei

Andrei — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:53:05 +0000

No, peejay, that was – unfortunately – shot down by the football associations.

How could they change the final to a wednesday?? It is ridiculous! Have they not heard of tradition?

I guess I should not be complaining since I could now watch it live instead of taping it. However it is outrageous!

Good job for Platini, he has managed to bring about some of his proposed changes and make those money-thirsty millonare bastards at UEFA happy.

By: peejay

peejay — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:19:42 +0000

So the F.A. Cup/Coppa Italia/Coppa del Rey/ holder doesn’t qualify for the Champions League instead of the fourth place team?