retired_sedimohasel

The smaller nations already get their chance, through the qualifs. If they don't make it then it means they're not good enough. What I don't understand is why you'd rather have a proven weaker team in the CL just because it's based out of another country. </BLOCKQUOTE>

No they don't.

Previously Steaua and Red Star Belgrade won the European Cup. How are teams like that suposed to build and grow when they just get beat by Liverpool or Sevilla or Lazio in qualifiers. Previously before all these other English, Italian etc teams came into it, clubs could build and progress. Hence Steaua and Red Star winning the tournement.

All I'm saying is that there is potential to have a world class tournement without pandering to the big 4 in England, Italy and Spain. </BLOCKQUOTE>

If they get beat by Lazio it means they're not as good as Lazio... let them build a team in their own league and give them a chance to compete in the CL every year (like it is the case today) but just a CHANCE, they have to prove that they deserve to be in more than the 4th team in Italy/Spain/England. If they can't win then I'd rather have the 4th team in, if they can good for them maybe they can build a better team with this as a starting point.

retired_khabmth

That is however not something that the CL can or should fix.



Nope.



No they didn't use to. They had a few years when they had something good going and managed to beat a few top sides a few times but they also lost to teams like Legia Warszawa, Panatinaikos and Rosenborg in those years.



Yea, once. Porto and Monaco did it just a few years ago, PSV beat Arsenal last year. All in all those are flukes not proof if their inherent greatness.



They have won it on several occasions. They have had periods of time in between trying to re-build too.



And again. That change hasn't come from or through the CL so it's neither deserved nor wanted to use the CL to fix it.

retired_sedimohasel

You guys trying to give more revenue to the small teams even though this revenue was generated by the big teams.
ie: If Sevilla plays Arsenal in the CL it will have a much higher rating than Red Star playing Kiev, now why should Kiev get the money that Arsenal generated?

retired_v_meenucancer

six titles won in a row, in europe's 4th/5th best league. in that time they've never been beyond the quarter finals of the champions league. little chance of keeping their best players in the long term. not a very good example then.

retired_sedimohasel

Going from a second division team in France (in 1989 so not even 20 years ago) to being one of the top 8 teams in Europe isn't an improvement?
Give Lyon another 10 years and they'll win the CL, they need their new stadium (the current one is owned by the City and they can't get revenue from it - stupid French laws!) the new French president putting a cap at 50% of your income being taxable might help attract/retain a few good players...
Of course no team is gonna go from being a no-name team to being Real Madrid or Man U right away, it takes years/decades to do it and Lyon is on the perfect track.
Oh and btw Lyon was a weird disallowed goal away from making the semi 3 years ago and 2min away from eliminating Milan in the QT 2 years ago.

retired_v_meenucancer

ok, so lyon are a good example because they are totally going to win it soon, and also it was so unfair the other year because they were going to win it, which is amazing because they only got into the french top flight in like 1989, which is almost less than a decade before when they won their first title, it's like woah rags to riches or what!

the six-times champions of one of europe's top leagues making it to a few quarter finals isn't quite the same as teams from romania and yugoslavia winning it.

retired_sedimohasel

The reason why teams from Romania (FYI Yougoslavia doesn't exist anymore) won't win the CL is because they don't have enough money to buy the players that could win it.
Is it the CL's fault? Not at all.
Is it for the CL to fix? Not at all and they don't even have the power to do so.

My point with Lyon was that a team can improve slowly (and reach the top 10 even though they weren't even in the top 200 less than 20 years ago) if under the right management but the country has a lot to do with it too and what Lyon did in 20 years it would take 40 to a Romanian team to do but it isn't impossible and I want to keep it possible but I don't want to make is easier for these teams either.

retired_sedimohasel

Oh and Lyon wasn't a rich team until Pathe became the sponsort, in 1998 iirc.
The city was rich but not the football team which is what allowed Lyon to grow. If the city/country is too poor it's sad but there's nothing the CL can do about it... unless you want to tax big teams and give that money to small teams which would be the dumbest thing ever imo.

retired_v_meenucancer

woah, cheers for telling me, i had no idea that yugoslavia has ceased to exist!!!

i've no longer got any clue what point you are trying to prove. are you trying to say that the champion's league doesn't give teams any money?

retired_khabmth

No but Lyon is a quite good example of a team/club that has built their own success firstly within their own league then taking it to the CL and even though they haven't gone all the way yet they do beat the "minnows" on a regular basis these days (well not so easily this season ).