Qualifying for the CL is the most important trophy.

[Pintu]

Is it about time we admit that trophies are for egos and that money is the only thing that matters?

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Pep isn’t the only one to say this. I think Conte said last year something similar about his achievement at Spurs. Even though melting down the way he did this year while they were still in top 4 suggests he felt otherwise.

 

[Gehrman]

What bullshit

 

[top1whoisman]

Arsène and Arsenal created this culture.

 

[Ted Lasso]

Reminds me of the NBa player quote floating around about not winning. I prefer that perspective than this one which lowers the bar.

 

[DOTA]

The trophies that are better than CL qualification are the ones that come with CL qualification.

 

[Gehrman]

Pep is just on a WUM here.

 

[Red in STL]

Is it about time we admit that trophies are for egos and that money is the only thing that matters?

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Pep isn’t the only one to say this. I think Conte said last year something similar about his achievement at Spurs. Even though melting down the way he did this year while they were still in top 4 suggests he felt otherwise.

You only have to read the relevant threads in the CAF to know a large percentage of United fans think the same way, winning things are much more important to me than finishing top 4 to qualify for the CL and always will be

 

[giorno]

The trophies that are better than CL qualification are the ones that come with CL qualification.

I mean this is correct as far as big clubs go. For smaller clubs ANY trophy is at least as big as CL qualification

 

[CM]

Yeah, for Arsenal.

 

[Pexbo]

Not getting relegated from the Premier League is the most important achievement of all because it means you have the chance of qualifying for the Champions League or winning the League next season.

 

[Galactic]

It is the most important achievement, at the moment.

The most important trophy is winning the Champions League after actually winning the league. It is the “Champions” League.

 

[Plant0x84]

Top 4 isn’t a trophy. It isn’t glory, it’s just qualification for a shot at glory.
it’s a means to an end, it’s not the end goal.

 

[Cat_knows]

Top 4 isn’t a trophy. It isn’t glory, it’s just qualification for a shot at glory.
it’s a means to an end, it’s not the end goal.

exactly

 

[Slevs]

Pep is so small time

 

[Abraxas]

I guess from the perspective of executives, chairmen etc it probably is seen that way because they're interested in a business first and the sporting merit is often a means to that end. Being in the CL has ramifications. Not just in the initial boost in income, but the association with the competition and being seen to be among the most important clubs is significant in marketing and sponsorship terms. Particularly if you can qualify over a sustained period and make it into the knockouts.

I would wager for many of them it's a more important "trophy" than winning a cup, whereas for fans it can be different, especially when you know you have feck all chance of winning the CL and you haven't won silverware in a long time.

 

[V.O.]

The real trophy was the fake injury tactical timeouts we made along the way.

 

[Bilbo]

It depends on the club

 

[DOTA]

Pep is so small time

He is, I find it endearing. Many people in his shoes would act above this stuff but he respects his opponents enough to be a cnut.

 

[giorno]

I guess from the perspective of executives, chairmen etc it probably is seen that way because they're interested in a business first and the sporting merit is often a means to that end. Being in the CL has ramifications. Not just in the initial boost in income, but the association with the competition and being seen to be among the most important clubs is significant in marketing and sponsorship terms. Particularly if you can qualify over a sustained period and make it into the knockouts.

I would wager for many of them it's a more important "trophy" than winning a cup, whereas for fans it can be different, especially when you know you have feck all chance of winning the CL and you haven't won silverware in a long time.

It's also sporting growth. It's much easier for a team in CL to sign and retain world class players, thus leading to a better team, thus leading a team capable of actual success - winning the league/CL

Again, this is for big clubs. Smaller clubs obviously don't come with those expectations and chance for growth

 

[Real Name]

Pep being a cnut shocker. Cant wait till PL or someone else throw the book at him and his beloved club.

It probably wont happen but it will be nice to see him squirming out of the whole deal.

 

[Marcelinho87]

Nothing beats the enjoyment of the trophy lift afterwards and I'd argue players feel the same way.

 

[Desert Eagle]

Savage burn there by Pep.

 

[I’m loving my life]

Dividends/money in the Glazers pockets
Marketing and sponsorships
Galactico signings for merchandise purposes


Top 4





Trophies in lucrative pre-season tournaments



CL (helps with laying the groundwork for an ESL)




PL placing bonuses


The PL itself

There’s some other trophies which are historic or something which we might use for marketing

 

[Zen86]

Top 4 isn’t a trophy. It isn’t glory, it’s just qualification for a shot at glory.
it’s a means to an end, it’s not the end goal.

It does in theory allow easier access to players, though. Players want to play in the CL. There's also the financial side of it.

 

[Hughes35]

Top 4 is most important for the club, club security, future and stability.

Winning a trophy is most important for the fans.

Simple as that really.

 

[Chief123]

Top 4 isn’t the absolute thing that fans celebrate. It’s the means to glory though. Fans want it because it means more revenue for the club and more attraction of better players which will ultimately help you to achieve the ultimate goal which is trophies. Not getting Top 4 pushes you further away from the ultimate goal and pushes rivals much closer to it. Double edged sword.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Arsène and Arsenal created this culture.

…At the same time they didn’t have money to compete for the league as the stadium broke them, and they won a few FA Cups, sure.

Pep is being a Cnut. Albeit a clever one.

Top four means Fcuk all unless you’re challenging for the CL. I’d take the FA Cup and 5th place every season over 4th and being trophyless.

Obviously the CL is the greatest prize in club football, but the Europa League is now close to where the Cup Winners Cup, and latterly the UEFA cup used to be. Great teams in a great tournament.

Fans want silverware and if that goes away we may as well go home.

 

[horsechoker]

Arsène and Arsenal created this culture.

I think it's money that created this culture

 

[Stadjer]

You only have to read the relevant threads in the CAF to know a large percentage of United fans think the same way, winning things are much more important to me than finishing top 4 to qualify for the CL and always will be

Qualifying for the CL brings in a ton of money and prestige which makes it more likely you will win something in the future. A domestic cup is fun to win but if you just win those without qualifying for the CL you are going to become a midtable team.

 

[desertegil]

It is actually better to win the Championship title than to win the Premier League title.
With the Championship title comes automatic promotion, with a guaranteed better league result and the chance to win a Premier League title next season.
After winning a Premier League title the best you can hope for next season is stagnation.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Qualifying for the CL brings in a ton of money and prestige which makes it more likely you will win something in the future. A domestic cup is fun to win but if you just win those without qualifying for the CL you are going to become a midtable team.

That’s just not true though. It once was, but it’s not now. The Champions League has been broken for a long time now. It’s revenue generating but what’s the point in just floating through a season, getting to the Round of 16 and then signing slightly better players to do exactly the same thing the year after?

Only 8 teams have won it in the last 20 years, and 13 in the last 30. It’s a closed shop. There are no real surprises. The last being Porto, and they needed the worlds best manager (at the time) and an accidental and large collection of players that went on to be world class.

Qualifying for it doesn’t really improve your chances to actually win it. You’ve got to be insanely rich, or slightly less rich and be an Historic huge club with a huge pull to be in with a chance.

It’s a far worse competition year on year. It’s been managed into a space that rewards and maintains the status quo.

 

[DJ_21]

If you’re a top team though you should be able to finish top 4 consistently and also win trophies. Shouldn’t be a case of 1 or the other…

 

[bosnian_red]

Memories don't sustain your club... Trophies are what are remembered and what fans love, but the club targets have to be CL qualification first and then winning trophies on top. Failing top 4 but winning a trophy isn't a successful season.

Calling top 4 a trophy is a joke though.

 

[Plant0x84]

It does in theory allow easier access to players, though. Players want to play in the CL. There's also the financial side of it.

Of course it does, you are correct. But I don’t think that would be a motivation for the players. Nobody plays football to sign better team mates or be potentially replaced.

 

[Red in STL]

Qualifying for the CL brings in a ton of money and prestige which makes it more likely you will win something in the future. A domestic cup is fun to win but if you just win those without qualifying for the CL you are going to become a midtable team.

You get prestige by winning trophies, not finishing in the top 4, money on the scale it's at now has ruined football and is unsustainable IMO

 

[Herman Toothrot]

Pep is just on a WUM here.

Yeah, seems to be slipping people's minds that this guy is a massive fecking cnut.

 

[Lay]

I guess it’s dependent on club. But you don’t make memories from finishing top 4, I don’t look back on our top 4 finishes. I look back on our trophies.

Though. I wonder if Wigan would trade the FA cup for survival that season

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Memories don't sustain your club... Trophies are what are remembered and what fans love, but the club targets have to be CL qualification first and then winning trophies on top. Failing top 4 but winning a trophy isn't a successful season.

Calling top 4 a trophy is a joke though.

Absolute madness. 4th every season and never winning a trophy is death.

 

[horsechoker]

Perhaps finishing in the top 4 for the first time or for the first time in a long time can be special but it's not the same as a trophy.

Unfortunately money has turned it into some sort of achievement.

The Champions League should either be smaller or winning The FA cup should give you a place and fewer places offered for league finishes

 

[lex talionis]

Means to an end. The end for the players it’s making a good living, no question, but above all it’s lifting a trophy. For club owners it’s either lifting a trophy or hauling in huge amounts of cash, or both. But for most it’s not only about seeing club owners hoover in the cash, otherwise we’d all be overjoyed by the “success” of the Glazers.