Comments on: Premier League or Champions League? Which one is most coveted by the fans?

By: Alexey Bogatiryov

Alexey Bogatiryov — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:51:50 +0000

@ Kris

I think Man United definitely prefer the CL as they have dominated the PL for so long, they want to build history and overtake Liverpool with their 5 CL trophies. And obviousely they wanna keep winning the Club World as well.

By: Chelsea Panda

Chelsea Panda — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Fateh, Liverpool will never win the league with Rafael Beneath us (wait till end of season you will see).

Cup competitions are your only chance of glory!

By: Fateh

Fateh — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:03:25 +0000

It varies from club to club…as Samir Abdalla says.
If i were a Liverpool fan,I would crave for the league,having tasted European success recently and also having finished runners up 2 seasons ago.
However,as a Manchester united fan,the CL is now more important to me simply because we have underperformed in Europe.
One of my friends is a Milan fan and whenever we have our my-club-is-better-than-yours-argument, he usually has the final word,as recent success notwithstanding, United have won the CL 3 times, and Milan-7.
This leads me to the conclusion that as an international United fan,I value the UCL more because I haven’t grown up in England,and I would much rather have the bragging rights of being the best in Europe rather than being the best in England.
This leads me to wonder,how about once every four years,instead of a knockout-style tournament,we have a league consisting of the 10 best teams in Europe? Due to the added fixture congestion for these clubs,they could be excused from one of the knockout domestic cups,like the League cup.
Winning this super league would surely surpass winning both the EPL and the UCL

By: Kristian Downer

Kristian Downer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:31:37 +0000

@Ahmed

Well maybe if one of the Trophies was a magic lamp (of sorts) you could rub it three times and wish away the Glazers

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:46:47 +0000

@Kristian – whatever pays the debts quicker

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:38:56 +0000

i agree that the premiership is the most valued trophy, as no one can argue that over the course of 38 games, the best team is decided. however, in terms of prestige, the champions league is probably of equal value, so im sure arsenal and chelsea fans would rather complete their collection of the major trophies in preference to winning the premier league at this moment in time.

By: Kristian Downer

Kristian Downer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:40:43 +0000

Interesting thoughts interested to know what Manchester United fans would do if given a choice now between league or Champions league (only choose one)????

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:38:23 +0000

Totally agree…Europe is key, but the league, is and always will be THE prize, the big one…

By: Samir Abdalla

Samir Abdalla — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:09:18 +0000

Is the Premier league more important to win for the Big 4 than the Champions League?

I think if you asked the question prior to us winning the league and repeating that feat in the next season the answer would be obvious to any Chelsea fan. The league without a shadow of a doubt. The league as a national competition pits us with other of the country’s finest for whom we know and hate; from whom bragging rights through our proximity gives us fans a special feeling.

But having watched us lift the League and then again. We have what we craved for, we have what a few years before seemed within our horizon though beyond our reach.

Once you have what you coveted like the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs it becomes less desirous because you know what it’s like. The champion’s league is a competition that reminds us you we are not only England’s finest but are among the world’s. And anybody who remember’s us winning promotion with 99 points will have a hard time adjusting to this current reality.
We are were we are. The Champion’s league should be our most coveted prize in my opinion simply because we do not know what that feeling is like. We do not know what it means to hear ‘Champions of Europe’, ‘Champions of the world’So in my opinion I think for us atleast that is what we ought to aspire to.

By: Alexey Bogatiryov

Alexey Bogatiryov — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:48:08 +0000

Don’t worry Kristian, I understand and never get offended with whom I am arguing. I also posted my comments on your soccerlens.com article. I agree that for countries (such as my Homecountry of Ukraine) who had relatively weak domestic leagues (only two OK teams Dynamo Kiev and Shahter Donetsk) the CL was everything. The whole country would stand stop to watch their team play a home CL match and spend their last savings on tickets.

I agree that English lads who grew up watching the best football in their domestic league don’t appreciate the CL as much as the PL featured about equal quality matches. However, that does not make the PL champion the best club in the world.

The CL features much more variety than the PL. To win it you must defeat the rough German teams, the stylish Spanish teams, the ambitious Eastern European teams, the stifling-defensive Italian teams, the fiesty French teams (Olympic Lyonne mostly) not to mention other top English clubs. This is why no team has been able to defend their title since the CL inception in 1992 as the competition is the toughest in the world, followed by Copa Libertadores in South America.

I see where you are coming from but I just don’t see how being the best among English clubs (even if the PL is the best European league) can be seen as being more important than being the best in Europe!