retired_kkaigle

I like the weekend idea - I'm undecided on the qualification. Although it's meant to be a little harder for the big nations, I can still see four teasm from italy, England and Spain qualifying every season which is still too much.

retired_kkaigle

http://news.hereisthecity.com/news/b...ews/7312.cntns

Just been sent this on a UEFA related note.

retired_rinkjustice

erm, I was explaining part of the reason why teams like Steaua and Dinamo Kiev were successful in that time and why that success might not carry over to the modern game: it had to do with the realities of the governments and economic systems in the area. If you want to debate that point, feel free to try to.

retired_jdupont

UEFA is such a mess.

How many times has the format of the CL and the UEFA Cup changed in the last 10 years:

retired_2symonds

I wouldn't say that it's a mess. If it's the same old same old all the time then people will get bored of it.

Change every now and then is good IMO

retired_sedimohasel

Like changing the CL final day from Wed to Sat?

retired_jdupont

A competition that changes format every 3 years or something doesn't look like a serious competition. When it's changed all the time, it only confuses people, as many of them won't be aware of the changes, so some stability is good.

retired_bliss123

group stage for the fa cup imo

retired_jdupont

A competition that changes format every 3 years or something doesn't look like a serious competition. When it's changed all the time, it only confuses people, as many of them won't be aware of the changes, so some stability is good. </BLOCKQUOTE>

By the way, although I think changing formats too often is bad, I am not saying that these changes are necessarily bad.

retired_musiclova31

heh, when it started the goal of the european cup was to pit the champions of each nation against each other. that original focus has only been lost as the competition has become more lucrative.

there is plenty wrong with the competition as it stands. by it's very structure it's heading toward being a totally closed shop - to the detriment of just about every league in europe as well.

the single best way to rectify the situation is to take a more 'socialist' approach to divvying up the prizemoney. let's just say the revenue generated by the CL and the waffa cup (which is also in dire need of restructuring - preferably back to a straight two legged cup competition) combined is 500 million pounds a season. you put up say 10m & 7.5m for the winners of the CL and waffa respectively, and 5m & 2.5m for the runners up. the rest of the revenue is distributed amongst national leagues based on the cumulative performance of all of their representatives in europe (i.e. if english teams perform the best in europe they get marginally more than the second best performed league). from there, that revenue is split evenly among each member of that league. so if england earn say 20m off of uefa for the performance of their teams, then each club in the PL gets 1m pounds. that's on top of any money they get for winning any competition as well gate receipts brought in for matches they play in.

it'd still bring in significant advantages for participation alone, and yet narrow the gap ever more disparate gap being created by the current format.

i'd also suggest that the number of participants from each country would have to be looked at too. i'd be far more in favour of say two countries from every nation get a chance to qualify for the CL - where they start in the qualifying rounds would be determined by seedings/rankings as is the case now - and maybe three or four in the waffa.

you have to give every participant a fair chance for future progression or you are running a closed shop in everything but name.

Yes but the important thing is we get more smaller team who'll get thrashed 7 and 8 nil because the magical CL fairy dust will make them good. </BLOCKQUOTE>
AS Roma say hi.