And while we're at it... all this talk of respect for the pyramid and respect for the beautiful game. But if there is one change that needs to be made to European football, it surely is that the FA Cup needs a bigger prize on the end of it.
Because the FA Cup has been treated horribly for the last twenty years. It's not financially valuable to win, it's been shuffled about and trodden on, and it lacks a proper European prize ever since the Champions League expanded and started stealing teams from the Cup Winners Cup.
Maybe it can't have a complete Champions League place - it is a cup competition after all. But maybe it could have a Champions League play-off place. Give both the 4th place Prem team and the FA Cup winners a play-off place so you don't need to "take" any new places from other countries. (One half place + one half place = one whole place).
And do the Champions League play-off at the end of the season rather than the start of the next (which is boring). Either the team finishing 4th plays the FA Cup winner for the final spot, or they both play other European teams for spots, but either way, give the FA Cup a proper prize.
If a team wins the FA Cup that has already qualified for the Champions League, then 4th because a complete place.
Because the FA Cup has been treated horribly for the last twenty years. It's not financially valuable to win, it's been shuffled about and trodden on, and it lacks a proper European prize ever since the Champions League expanded and started stealing teams from the Cup Winners Cup.
Maybe it can't have a complete Champions League place - it is a cup competition after all. But maybe it could have a Champions League play-off place. Give both the 4th place Prem team and the FA Cup winners a play-off place so you don't need to "take" any new places from other countries. (One half place + one half place = one whole place).
And do the Champions League play-off at the end of the season rather than the start of the next (which is boring). Either the team finishing 4th plays the FA Cup winner for the final spot, or they both play other European teams for spots, but either way, give the FA Cup a proper prize.
If a team wins the FA Cup that has already qualified for the Champions League, then 4th because a complete place.
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