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The Champions League

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For me the FA Cupnis the best comp. Random draws, no seeding, clubs from all levels. That used to be real football. The big clubs have frankly crapped on it though by playing reserve teams in it and still ending up winning it. So the prestige isn’t there but watching Boro put out United, or Cambridge put out Newcastle is always more exciting than watching Madrid City Liverpool PSG but 7 past some minnow and then nil nil each other to go to pens.

The allure of the CL used to be its rarity, you might make a final with your best ever team, making it numerous times was unheard of for anyone in the modern period, even the likes of Chelsea with Abramovich’s money couldn’t crack it. Fergie’s 99 team felt like they had climbed the pinnacle, an absolute war against Juventus in the semi and then getting battered by Bayern in the final. Even in 08 two legs against the best club team of all time potentially and then a final against Chelsea completely evenly matched.

Nowadays we have English clubs punting sides for 4 or 5 and not getting a game until they play each other. The rest of Europe is so weak that dross teams are making the latter stages regularly now so there’s not even a challenge for English clubs.

It’s just not the pinnacle anymore, get out the group, play two European minnows and then beat Chelsea or Spurs and you can win it. All the English teams fancy making the final every season now. That’s just ridiculous and a product of their financial, and chemical, doping.
 
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davek said:
It's rubbish really isn't it?

I mean, yes, you'd want to win it, but FFS it's a pony old tournament compared to the old European Cup and the revamped early Champions League tournaments.

The group stages are barely worth watching; the KO stages have become predictable - full of financially doped English teams making their way to the SFs (and even the Spanish have fallen off the pace apart from a half decent Madrid).

It's just not a spectacle.

Of course, I'll PMSL if / when Liverpool get seen off this season, but this tournament is dead. The speed with which the scab Euro clubs wanted to ditch it for the Euro Scab League tells the story. The CL has to go or be revamped massively.



Pecking order for trophies:

The PL
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-
-
-
-
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The CL
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The EL / The FA Cup
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The LC
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The Championship???
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The Euro Conference League
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chrissyjack said:
" Champions " League ? When the champions of some countries still have go through a round of play-off matches to qualify ?
Surely Celtic , if they win the SPL , will get an automatic place due to their " historical " achievement of having won the trophy in the past :coffee:
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1967?...there was no football before 1992, so no chance.
 
European Cup was a fine competition.
Champions only.
No seeding, although iirc some preliminary rounds once?

If they must have leagues, 5 clubs 2 home and 2 away, eufa one year?
 
Same as the premier league, the money and talent is being condensed into the top few clubs. While there have always been big teams, and top leagues, it has never been this polarised before.
When is the last time a team from outside the big 4 leagues got to a final? It is all just too predictable
 
Saint Domingo said:
For me the FA Cupnis the best comp. Random draws, no seeding, clubs from all levels. That used to be real football. The big clubs have frankly crapped on it though by playing reserve teams in it and still ending up winning it. So the prestige isn’t there but watching Boro put out United, or Cambridge put out Newcastle is always more exciting than watching Madrid City Liverpool PSG but 7 past some minnow and then nil nil each other to go to pens.

The allure of the CL used to be its rarity, you might make a final with your best ever team, making it numerous times was unheard of for anyone in the modern period, even the likes of Chelsea with Abramovich’s money couldn’t crack it. Fergie’s 99 team felt like they had climbed the pinnacle, an absolute war against Juventus in the semi and then getting battered by Bayern in the final. Even in 08 two legs against the best club team of all time potentially and then a final against Chelsea completely evenly matched.

Nowadays we have English clubs punting sides for 4 or 5 and not getting a game until they play each other. The rest of Europe is so weak that dross teams are making the latter stages regularly now so there’s not even a challenge for English clubs.

It’s just not the pinnacle anymore, get out the group, play two European minnows and then beat Chelsea or Spurs and you can win it. All the English teams fancy making the final every season now. That’s just ridiculous and a product of their financial, and chemical, doping.
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Man City and Liverpool were always destined to get to the final stages. Madrid on a good day will beat either, but you cant look past those two.

There's no depth of quality in outfits from Italy. They abandoned what got them European trophies long ago and with the lack of spending on players they'll remain outsiders looking in. France is PSG - and they're criminally managed in Europe. Spain: Barca have imploded and Atletico are just huff and puff thugs when playing the elite. Germany lacks domestic depth in quality and Bayern fly the flag increasingly underwhelmingly.

The other parts of Europe traditionally capable of a CL success like Holland and Portugal are Europa League quality.

You cant run such a continent wide tournament with that little to offer.

Outside of a show piece final it is almost worthless in terms of status.

It's just above the credibility we all used to give F.A Cup finals 15 years ago.

They have to scrap it.
 

Doubletree said:
Didn’t they try and do that for a super league and everybody started kicking off?
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I didn't.

I wanted shut of them. I was gutted there was the reaction and jettisoning of it.

Nevertheless, there has to be a rethink on the CL. It's failed badly.
 
I really hope they do start a super league and the super 6 sod off and never come back. Then the remaining clubs in England create fair rules with wage caps and put fair competition ahead of everything else. And then extend that to Europe as well and then if everything is fair across the board then you will have a much more fair and entertaining product.

The super league will then become very boring and the super 6 will be begging to come back and at that point we can let them restart from the bottom division.
 
Don't know where this Bs about the champions League not being good comes from we have just seen Chelsea and Madrid play one of the games of the season atletico and city go toe to toe as well. In recent years seen spurs beat Ajax and reach the final with the last kick of the game, as well as other great games.

I think the people who say it has gone downhill don't have bt sport's
 

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