England should get a 5th CL spot

[Yagami]

After 1 season you'd want the current format back. Nobody wants to watch Bayern and Real Madrid walk their way to the final by beating the champions of Finland and Belarus.

Maybe, but, as of right now, I'd like to see only champions qualify. It'd stop managers treating 2nd-4th as an accomplishment (Arsenal) and it'd actually be a "champions league".

Regarding Madrid, they'd have hardly been in the competition this last decade if this were the case.

 

[MullerUtd]

Never understood why the EPL is so hated upon reading opposition fan forums like Bayern, Barca, Juventus, Real Madrid or basically any fan forums outside of the EPL, now I understand why. OP is either high or a self-entitled wum

 

[Nanook]

Maybe, but, as of right now, I'd like to see only champions qualify. It'd stop managers treating 2nd-4th as an accomplishment (Arsenal) and it'd actually be a "champions league".

Regarding Madrid, they'd have hardly been in the competition this last decade if this were the case.

So what would teams who are 5th or 6th play for? Our last 10-15 games of last season when it was clear we wouldn't win the league would have been totally meaningless if not for the 4th CL spot.

Real and Bayern were just the teams I named, what I meant was nobody wants to watch the champions of Spain and Germany hammer teams from Finland and Belarus.

 

[Yagami]

So what would teams who are 5th or 6th play for? Our last 10-15 games of last season when it was clear we wouldn't win the league would have been totally meaningless if not for the 4th CL spot.

Real and Bayern were just the teams I named, what I meant was nobody wants to watch the champions of Spain and Germany hammer teams from Finland and Belarus.

I have no idea. I'd just like to see it revert back to that format.

 

[barros]

This is what happens when non-champions get too big for their britches.

I'm more in favor of kicking non champions out, and restricting participation to league champions and defending CL winners only.

This

 

[Nanook]

I have no idea. I'd just like to see it revert back to that format.

Why? Seems like there's no pros, just cons.

 

[adexkola]

So what would teams who are 5th or 6th play for? Our last 10-15 games of last season when it was clear we wouldn't win the league would have been totally meaningless if not for the 4th CL spot.

Real and Bayern were just the teams I named, what I meant was nobody wants to watch the champions of Spain and Germany hammer teams from Finland and Belarus.

Your first point makes no sense. What do teams in mid-table play for then, seeing there is only one champion? They fecking compete because they are football teams and the objective is to win the game in front of you going on for the next 90 minutes.

I don't see how Bayern hammering APOEL Nicosia is less interesting than watching Bayern hammer Arsenal. I'd prefer the former... At least Nicosia win their league.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

What have they played for for literally decades?

 

[Yagami]

Why? Seems like there's no pros, just cons.

I just think it makes it more "special" that only champions participate. Like the Club World Cup. Plus, it'd mean teams such as ourselves will have to do the best they can to challenge for the league instead of having the safety net of 2nd-4th.

As you said, after a season or two of this format I may grow tired of it, but I'd like to see it now.

 

[barros]

Last 20 CL winners:
Spain = 10
England = 4
Italy = 3
Germany = 2
Portugal = 1

Last 10 CL winners:
Spain = 6
England = 2
Germany = 1
Italy = 1

Last 10 CL losers:
Germany = 3
England = 3
Italy = 2
Spain = 2



2016-17 Real Madrid - Juventus
2015-16 Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid
2014-15 Barcelona - Juventus
2013-14 Real Madrid Atlético Madrid
2012-13 Bayern Munich - Borussia Dortmund
2011-12 Chelsea - Bayern Munich
2010-11 Barcelona - Manchester United
2009-10 Internazionale - Bayern Munich
2008-09 Barcelona - Manchester United
2007-08 Manchester United - Chelsea

2006-07 Milan - Liverpool
2005-06 Barcelona - Arsenal
2004-05 Liverpool - Milan
2003-04 Porto - Monaco
2002-03 Milan - Juventus
2001-02 Real Madrid - Bayer Leverkusen
2000-01 Bayern Munich - Valencia
1999-00 Real Madrid - Valencia
1998-99 Manchester United - Bayern Munich
1997-98 Real Madrid - Juventus

 

[Nanook]

Your first point makes no sense. What do teams in mid-table play for then, seeing there is only one champion? They fecking compete because they are football teams and the objective is to win the game in front of you going on for the next 90 minutes.

I don't see how Bayern hammering APOEL Nicosia is less interesting than watching Bayern hammer Arsenal. I'd prefer the former... At least Nicosia win their league.

Of course it makes sense, without a top four there would be fewer meaningful games for teams near the top of the league to play. Mid table clubs often have many meaningless games to play which is a bad thing.

Arsenal would stand a realistic chance of knocking Bayern out, APEOL would stand no chance at all. Arsenal are one of the richest teams in the world, they can get a lot better than they currently are and Bayern can decline. No matter how bad Bayern get and how good APEOL get, they would always be huge underdogs.

 

[2ndTouch]

I don't see how Bayern hammering APOEL Nicosia is less interesting than watching Bayern hammer Arsenal. I'd prefer the former... At least Nicosia win their league.

That might be true for you as an enthusiast. But in the end, Arsenal has a much bigger following than APOEL.

 

[Parry Gallister]

Complete and utter bollox IMO. Based on recent years' performances in the CL by English clubs, we're lucky to have 4 teams allowed in it.

This. Might be a financial inventive to have more due to how widely followed the clubs are but we've been poor in the CL for years as a league.

 

[Kostur]

Of course it makes sense, without a top four there would be fewer meaningful games for teams near the top of the league to play. Mid table clubs often have many meaningless games to play which is a bad thing.

Arsenal would stand a realistic chance of knocking Bayern out, APEOL would stand no chance at all. Arsenal are one of the richest teams in the world, they can get a lot better than they currently are and Bayern can decline. No matter how bad Bayern get and how good APEOL get, they would always be huge underdogs.

Every fecking year.

 

[adexkola]

Of course it makes sense, without a top four there would be fewer meaningful games for teams near the top of the league to play. Mid table clubs often have many meaningless games to play which is a bad thing.

Arsenal would stand a realistic chance of knocking Bayern out, APEOL would stand no chance at all. Arsenal are one of the richest teams in the world, they can get a lot better than they currently are and Bayern can decline. No matter how bad Bayern get and how good APEOL get, they would always be huge underdogs.

That implies the vast majority of teams in a league system (outside of the top 4 and relegation spots) have nothing to play for, which is ludicrous.

How many chances have Arsenal had to do that in recent years? Says it all that APOEL have made it to the quarter-finals of the CL and EL more recently than Arsenal have.

That might be true for you as an enthusiast. But in the end, Arsenal has a much bigger following than APOEL.

We might as well peg CL participation to the amount of fans a club has then, if following is going to have any say.

 

[Nanook]

That implies the vast majority of teams in a league system (outside of the top 4 and relegation spots) have nothing to play for, which is ludicrous.

How many chances have Arsenal had to do that in recent years? Says it all that APOEL have made it to the quarter-finals of the CL and EL more recently than Arsenal have.

There's Europa league spots too and some teams have cup runs but yeah, teams 8th-14th don't have a lot to play for in the last 5-10 games of the season normally.

If APEOL played in the champions league instead of Arsenal would the tournament be better off for it, just the same or worse?

 

[adexkola]

There's Europa league spots too and some teams have cup runs but yeah, teams 8th-14th don't have a lot to play for in the last 5-10 games of the season normally.

If APEOL played in the champions league instead of Arsenal would the tournament be better off for it, just the same or worse?

Apart from the extra money one gets for finishing higher in the league, sure.

Better. More diversity is good.

 

[Nanook]

Apart from the extra money one gets for finishing higher in the league, sure.

Better. More diversity is good.

An additional £1.9m per place doesn't add a huge amount of importance to games when the total money is going to be between £95m-£150m anyway.

I think you're in the minority, I think the overwhelming majority of football fans would prefer to see Arsenal.

 

[notcool]

To do this the CL would have to be expanded to 48 teams. All the top 4 countries could get 5 spots, or even 6.

 

[Handré1990]

That is exactly the attitude that makes people dislike everything about EPL. The sense of entitlement that is backed up with absoultely nothing.

Also, calling City and Spurs big clubs. Dear God.

My thoughts exactly. I think I love you

As for the point made in the op, no chance, and rightly so. England is lucky to still have four

 

[notcool]

What would be really nice is:

Top 2-European Cup
3+4=UEFA Cup
Cup Winner=Cups Winners' Cup

The top 2 qualifying for the European Cup would allow for a lot of quality while making it harder for teams to continually qualify. Third and fourth place going into the UEFA Cup would make that competition a lot more competitive/interesting. And bring back the Cup Winners' Cup, which is actually viable with not so many teams qualifying for the European Cup.

 

[adexkola]

What would be really nice is:

Top 2-European Cup
3+4=UEFA Cup
Cup Winner=Cups Winners' Cup

The top 2 qualifying for the European Cup would allow for a lot of quality while making it harder for teams to continually qualify. Third and fourth place going into the UEFA Cup would make that competition a lot more competitive/interesting. And bring back the Cup Winners' Cup, which is actually viable with not so many teams qualifying for the European Cup.

Agree regarding the Cups Winner Cup.

 

[Infordin]

Well the 5th placed English team is usually stronger then any other 4th placed teams from the other leagues..

Explains why Sevilla always wins the Europa League unless they aren't in it.

 

[SCP]

Explains why Sevilla always wins the Europa League unless they aren't in it.

Don't waste your time, he was the only 1 in 143 posts who agreed with this nonsense.

He is 1 of those who believe in their own hype, probably makes them feel better.

 

[Snow]

I personally think that United and Real Madrid should directly qualify for the Semi finals, financially they are bound to reach it at some point anyway.

PSG beg to differ.