European Club Association - Proposed changes - AKA Worst idea ever

[Sothall_Blade]

Explained: How Champions League reforms mean the League Cup risks being scrapped

Major European changes could put a historic competition's future in doubt, as reports of reform continue to intensify. But what will it all mean?

www.fourfourtwo.com

How would the new Champions League look?
The biggest change would be in the Champions League group stage, where there would be four groups of eight teams who will play each other home and away for a total of 14 games per team. The top four teams from each group would progress to the last 16, while the fifth-placed side is guaranteed qualification for the following season.
The teams finishing sixth and seventh would have a play-off over two legs to decide who stays in the competition the following season, while the bottom-placed team drops into the Europa League play-off round in the next campaign.
The knockout rounds would go on as normal, but the increased group stage commitments mean that it will take 21 matches to win the competition: 14 group games and seven knockout matches.

How would the new Europa League look?
The group stage would be made up of eight groups of four teams, the same as the current Champions League set-up. However, a crucial difference would be that only the group winners would automatically progress to the last 16 stage. The last 32 stage would be completely removed.
Teams finishing second and third in their group would have a play-off to decide who reaches the last 16 alongside the group winner, while the fourth-placed team is out.
Losing quarter-finalists would be guaranteed a group-stage place for the following season, while all four semi-finalists will automatically be bumped up to the Champions League the following season

When will a decision be made?
UEFA and the ECA want to agree on a concrete proposal by November in order to put plans in place by 2024. The ECA general assembly is set to meet next month but a Premier League source has told The Sun that English clubs are ready to fight against the proposals.
“This is a sign the biggest clubs recognise the importance of English football as a whole,” they are quoted as saying. “They are not fighting for themselves – they would potentially earn more money from Europe.
“But they know it would damage the Premier League, the EFL, even the National League. It's about helping to keep the whole game alive.”

 

[Bill Johnson]

Been saying for years a European League is an inevitability. Money will ensure that. The Champions League in its current format is past its sell by date. Crowds in many group stage games are poor.
The human race has evolved to the point it has ADD and needs instant gratification 24/7.
The stage after a European League will be a global one.
We'd better crack on and find life on another planet to play against before the pond life get bored of that format.

 

[jt64]

Bit of a pointless article without it saying how they decide who initially gets on the gravy train, and/or how you get into it at a later date. No real opposition to the actual changes to format, and if it means the EFL's two pointless cups can get amalgamated into one and the PL doesn't need to bother with them then that's fine as well

 

[Bill Johnson]

Bit of a pointless article without it saying how they decide who initially gets on the gravy train, and/or how you get into it at a later date. No real opposition to the actual changes to format, and if it means the EFL's two pointless cups can get amalgamated into one and the PL doesn't need to bother with them then that's fine as well

Really?
Don't you think we've already lost way too much of what football is about already?
And you're a bit previous assuming well be a PL fixture.

 

[DifferentClass]

If this goes ahead, qualifying clubs should be forced to choose between playing a full league schedule with Europa League competition or play in the CL with a half schedule of 19 league matches. If they choose the latter, it will all but guarantee that they won't finish in the top six and will obviously affect their CL qualification chances the next season.

Can't see Citeh etc. agreeing to it though.

 

[SwissBlade]

I hope they do move forward with a European super league. I think it would be a big disaster for fans and those clubs in the top 6 of the prem and UEFA don’t care about fans, so let them go ahead

 

[Bill Johnson]

It would benefit us Immensely.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

I may have voiced my opinion about this on here before but, for the record, let them get on with it.
Anyone wanting to play in a full season long european (or world for that matter) league can bugger off for me.
No representation in any of the domestic cup competitions and re-entry only at a level akin to the Chesterfield & District Sunday League if/when it all goes tits up and fans are bored with it.
The domestic game will do just fine without them.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Let’s get this straight..... all new initiatives are about making money.

The popularity of the PL dominates world football, so most of the tv money comes to England.
Even the big European leagues can’t compete and the smaller leagues like Scotland may as well pack up financially.
There are now new members of UEFA with all these small newly formed countries due to the break up of Russia, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakian etc.

A massive bulk of tv revenue comes to one country......English Premier League.....
the Europeans aren’t happy and like the EU want a more even distribution of wealth (tv money).

The big 6 don’t need a long drawn out European super league....where in the early stages will be a much lower standard than the PL.
Not surprised that the big PL teams are against it. When you’re already leading the financial market why would they risk lowering their income and profile to help give clubs in the little leagues more profile.

It’s been noticeable that the Champions League seem to want to involve more clubs...so it’s become quantity before quality.
This idea makes it even more about quantity over quality.

 

[Trigger Blade]

The article says that the League Cup would be put at risk by these plans, but why should it? If clubs want to play in whatever super league exists, they just forfeit their right to be in the League Cup. There should be no U23 teams allowed as a half way house either.

Apart from anything else, it would mean other clubs having a decent shot a trophy, which must be better than what happens now.

In my opinion.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

So....

Of the 32 qualifying teams in the champions league, 24 will automatically qualify for next seasons? Meaning only 8 places available.

How the feck does that work and who decides the initial 32 clubs? Let me guess, it's based on something ridiculous like....size?

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

The article says that the League Cup would be put at risk by these plans, but why should it? If clubs want to play in whatever super league exists, they just forfeit their right to be in the League Cup. There should be no U23 teams allowed as a half way house either.

Apart from anything else, it would mean other clubs having a decent shot a trophy, which must be better than what happens now.

In my opinion.

But the prestige of winning such a trophy would be greatly diminished making it more unattractive for fans to bother attending and possibly causing it to be financially impractical.

 

[Sheffsteel]

So....

Of the 32 qualifying teams in the champions league, 24 will automatically qualify for next seasons? Meaning only 8 places available.

How the feck does that work and who decides the initial 32 clubs? Let me guess, it's based on something ridiculous like....size?

The new Champions League will be 4 groups of 8 teams.
The 32 highest ranking/ biggest clubs will automatically start in the first Champions league so all the best in Europe are playing each other on a regular basis.

Then the top 4 in each group qualify to the next stage, which would be a knock out competition of 16 teams.
The problem with group matches is that there can can games that become meaningless, so teams might be tempted to put our weak teams.
UEFA have thought about that, teams finishing 5th and 6th would retain their place in next seasons Champions League, as long as they also quality out of their domestic competition.

And teams finishing 6th and 7th will lose their place in the Champions League and will be playing in the Europa Cup the following season.
Interesting that there’ll be a 3rd UEFA competition. Would guess that any clubs finishing in the top 10 will automatically qualify for Europe.
So there’s more chance for a club like Sheff Utd to play in Europe under the new system.

Also I would think that if the PL top 6 are playing 20 extra fixtures in Europe, then it will be harder for them to win the PL (unless they build up an impressive squad providing 2 top rated teams) and suspect they’d need to pull out of the EFL and FA cup, so other clubs stand a better chance of success in these competitions.

This is being designed to take on the Premier League.
UEFA want this to become the most prestigious, most popular, most watched and richest competition in world football.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

The new Champions League will be 4 groups of 8 teams.
The 32 highest ranking/ biggest clubs will automatically start in the first Champions league so all the best in Europe are playing each other on a regular basis.

Then the top 4 in each group qualify to the next stage, which would be a knock out competition of 16 teams.
The problem with group matches is that there can can games that become meaningless, so teams might be tempted to put our weak teams.
UEFA have thought about that, teams finishing 5th and 6th would retain their place in next seasons Champions League, as long as they also quality out of their domestic competition.

And teams finishing 6th and 7th will lose their place in the Champions League and will be playing in the Europa Cup the following season.
Interesting that there’ll be a 3rd UEFA competition. Would guess that any clubs finishing in the top 10 will automatically qualify for Europe.
So there’s more chance for a club like Sheff Utd to play in Europe.

Also I would think that if the PL top 6 are playing 20 extra fixtures in Europe, then it will be harder for them to win the P`L.
Also suspect they’d need to pull out of the EFL and FA cup, so other clubs stand a better chance of success in these competitions.

This is being designed to take on the Premier League.
UEFA want this to become the most prestigious, most popular, most watched and richest competition in world football.

and likely to be played all over Europe giving fans from all over the opportunity to buy half half scarves, take selfies and watch the club they've never seen before.

 

[SB_90]

it wont happen because 8 teams groups are too drawn out & bit like the cricket world cup vast majority wont tune into til final 3/4 group games when things get interesting with elimination on cards. even then with 14 games in group stage its likely they will be numerous dead rubbers with weakened sides who've already qualified

 

[Harry's Game]

How would a European super league, which I assume would mean a lot of jet flights for teams and fans every week, square with Britain and the EU’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint?

 

[sheepbridge]

I hope it does happen, and if it does English clubs will need to be involved.
Even if they are against it they will be out voted as other teams will see it as a way of making much more money, and English clubs wouldn't dare not be involved.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch. Though I suspect they will demand special compensation from EPL, including maybe a smaller Premier division of maybe even two so have to play less domestic games.
They can whistle for that. The remaining EPL clubs won't want less games and so less money.
Sky might like the idea of two Premier divisions though so more games overall, so actually could see that occurring.

 

[Harry's Game]

Sky might like the idea of two Premier divisions though so more games overall, so actually could see that occurring.

I think the long term future of English football will head towards two Premier League divisions of 40 professional clubs. Two up and down between them, whilst League one and two will be semi pro and possibly regionalised into North and South divisions.

One team would be promoted to Premier League 2 every year provided they can win a home and away play off with the team that finishes bottom of Premier League 2 and they meet stringent financial and stadium regulations (ie making it next to impossible and making the top two divisions more a less a closed shop)

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I hope it does happen, and if it does English clubs will need to be involved.
Even if they are against it they will be out voted as other teams will see it as a way of making much more money, and English clubs wouldn't dare not be involved.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch. Though I suspect they will demand special compensation from EPL, including maybe a smaller Premier division of maybe even two so have to play less domestic games.
They can whistle for that. The remaining EPL clubs won't want less games and so less money.
Sky might like the idea of two Premier divisions though so more games overall, so actually could see that occurring.

The money, the viewing figures, the global audience is vastly with the PL. The top 6 in England rule the football world financially. They know that, UEFA know that, which is why UEFA is proposing this to get a bigger slice of the PL money pie. The competition without English involvement is doomed, so if they veto this or suggest alternatives UEFA will have no choice but to acquiesce to their demands. UEFA can't dictate to the English clubs, what can they do if they vote against this? Ban them from the competitions? So what, they rake in their fortunes from the PL and that would continue to do so while the European competitions flounder due to lack of global interest without English teams.