A Third European Club Competition

[OneTrueLegend]

I have been thinking for a while now that the Cup Winners Cup (CWC) should be reintroduced in some form and thought I would throw this idea out there and see what people thought.

At the moment many people complain that the Europa League is too long, however when it gets to the quarter final stage, people start getting excited, as they can see the potential final and a champions league place in their future.

Part of the issue with the Europa League is that, after the Group Stage, it goes back to a 32 team competition (24 from the Europa groups and 8 from the champions league)

However I would propose that at this point the competition is split in two

the top 12 teams from the Europa league and 4 teams from the champions league, compete for the Europa League Trophy

the second place 12 teams from the europa league and 4 teams from the champions league compete for what was the CWC, rebranded as the "Europa Cup" or sponsored

Both winners of the competition would have an automatic spot back in next years champions league

 

[Alan Whittle]

Too. Much. Football.

 

[a bell maul]

I'd let the winner of the main domestic cup comp (eg FA Cup) have a CL spot. ie Arsenal would displace Liverpool

 

[Grand Duke of Marmite]

But what happens if an underdog win's the FA Cup? Like a Wigan, Wimbledon or Coventry City. Would you really want them representing us in the CL. I certainly wouldn't. It would be a complete waste of a space and would damage the countries coefficients as well. I'm not so sure anyone would be happy if Everton finished 4th one year, only for their place to be taken by a team like that either.

I would certainly like to see the CWC make a comeback though. They should never have got rid of it in the first place imo.

 

[canuckblue]

The CL and EL are massively bloated as it stands now. Pare down those two before adding a third competition.

 

[ilikecheese]

*pita

 

[Azzurri]

No not for me, I can't really be arsed with the Europa league unless we're in it, never mind another one.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Yes cup winners cup
Bring it back
The old format
Nothing to do with us winning it

 

[ToffeeDan]

Won't work because it'll be undersubscribed or it will be full of runners-up who don't get into Europe anymore (and don't deserve a place anyway).

 

[summerisle]

An interesting article.

http://www.wsc.co.uk/features/13788...ck-illumination-as-established-names-dominate

 

[SailorBlue]

Maybe have a separate competition for club's from the smaller countries like Iceland , Malta, Luxembourg Wales etc.A Euro version of the FA Trophy. The small teams are cannon fodder. This will reduce CL qualifiers.

 

[WA Toffee]

The CL and EL are massively bloated as it stands now. Pare down those two before adding a third competition.

Pretty much this. There are 7 English teams in Europe already. If you can't qualify at the moment, you don't deserve to.

 

[nsno-chris]

Champions league for champions
Cup winners cup for cup winners
The rest get europa

 

[daza_1973]

No leave the CWC retired it winds up the rs that we could in theory have the full set of European cups one day... They never can...

 

[toffeejack]

Without a doubt for me, I think all the champions of european leagues as well as the second place teams from say the big 5 leagues or something (something which makes a good round number). Tuesdays

Then a second tier league of teams who finished 2nd and 3rd in the lesser leagues as well as 3rd from the big 5 leagues (for example) Wednesdays

Then the Cup winners cup brought back as a straight knockout cup from all european leagues. I presume they all have a maximum of two cups? Thursdays


I don't watch the champions league at all anymore, you can name the same 15 or 16 teams that are in it every single year, it's dull. You get the same fixtures year after year (ala arsenal v bayern) and with the league format it makes it even easier for those same teams to progress.


If they insist on keeping the same format, I think all domestic fixtures should be set up so all the teams in europe play eachother on sunday's the weekend of european football. Most of them will eventually be televised anyway so may as well free up more games for saturday 3pm. So pointless having teams in the europa having to play on the sunday with a home banker and it's not televised either because they've picked other games, leaving a saturday of 3 or 4 3pm kick offs.