Big Four To Feel Wind Of European Cup Challenge

[King-Osgood-1690]

Big Four To Feel Wind Of European Cup Challenge



The Premier League's big four have made such a habit out of challenging for Champions League glory that it is almost impossible to imagine one of them missing out on the tournament altogether.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have contested Europe's blue riband club competition every year since 2003, reaching at least one final apiece since 2005.

But, under changes to the qualifying rounds that come into effect next season, the team finishing fourth in the Premier League could be in for a rude awakening.

Liverpool needed a last-gasp goal against Standard Liege just to come through qualifying in August and now that process is likely to be even more difficult.

Not for the first time, Uefa president Michel Platini is looking to shake things up.

Platini wants to reduce the number of non-champions from countries such as England, Spain and Italy and increase the number of champions from the likes of Bulgaria, Slovakia and Latvia in the competition.

A qualifying path will, therefore, be reserved solely for non-champions from the higher-ranked countries - and that could see England's fourth team pitted against the fourth team from Spain or Italy.

"We introduced this new format after discussions with the clubs but of course there will be losers," Uefa's general secretary David Taylor told BBC Sport.

"To the big clubs who may miss out I would say tough luck. This is a sporting competition and there is no guarantee of success.

"This is good for European football because we are refreshing the competition and we will have increased interest with clubs who have possibly never played in the Champions League before."



Platini has not had everything his own way - the teams finishing third in England, Spain and Italy are to gain direct entry to the group stage - but he thinks the alterations will help rejuvenate the competition and improve the quality of teams and leagues across Europe.

If one of England's big four did fail to qualify for the Champions League the potential financial and sporting ramifications do not bear thinking about, even more so at a time of a global economic crisis.

Clubs contesting the Champions League proper earn between £4.6m-£20.4m, a share of the £237.31m television pot and matchday income, which for each of the big four is about £3m per match.

From Uefa alone, 2008 winners Manchester United earned almost £42m and runners-up Chelsea more than £36m.

"Because of the massive amounts of money at stake, the English quartet all budget to reach the group stage every year and if they don't get there, they are in huge trouble," said football analyst Alex Fynn.

"To do well domestically is an end in itself but it is also a means to an even bigger end, which is the Champions League."

Uefa believes any hostility from the clubs is a small price to pay for making the Champions League more exciting.

Taylor points to the way 2008 Champions League debutants Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) and BATE Borisov (Belarus) have spiced up the competition.

The worry is that the changes will prove purely cosmetic and critics argue that the competition has become too predictable before the knockout rounds begin each February.

The eight teams originally regarded as favourites to win their groups this season have lost just four of 40 matches played.

"Competitive balance is a concern and the trend in general is on the decline in all competitions," said Alex Phillips, Uefa's head of professional football services. "It's something we consider closely when making changes to the Champions League."

Phillips's boss Taylor, though, concedes that the inclusion of more champions from lower-ranked countries could result in the big clubs continuing to have it their own way.

When the potential changes were originally examined by Uefa's strategy council, there was support for the adoption of a total knockout format, which was how the European Cup was contested until 1991.

Unfortunately for the purists, most clubs want or need the income generated by a guaranteed minimum number of games and so, for now, the Champions League will retain its current format.

"These things are all a little bit cyclical and I don't think we see dominance from one particular club or country for a long period of time," said Taylor.

"There are five big football countries in Europe and they will always provide the bulk of the winners.

"But there are other countries, like the Netherlands and Portugal, who from time to time can produce clubs who can win tournaments and we have to continue to allow that possibility.

"The changes from 2009 increase the chances of that happening and anything we can do to that extent helps."

Fynn, for one, applauds the changes, arguing that the big clubs have had things their own way for far too long.

"In many sports people talk about the podium but the podium only has room for three," he said.

"Finishing first, second or third in a big league should give you right of entry into the group stage.

"Likewise if you finish first or second in a smaller league, or as champions in the smallest leagues.

"But fourth? A fourth place was only introduced when Uefa were trying to prevent the big clubs from forming their own break-away competition."

BBC SPORT | Football | Europe | Big four to feel wind of European change

[Holminho]

There goes Liverpool and Arsenal's future spots.

[MaschPotato]

Originally Posted by RerereChelsea

There goes Liverpool and Arsenal's future spots.

That comment is laughable

[chemicalrubber]

Originally Posted by MaschPotato

That comment is laughable

Certainly.

[The Masterpiece]

that plan is laughable, sure I'm sick with the English top 4 but removing them from the CL just to give some crappy club-countries like Latvia a bigger chance is stupid

[CreerBFC]

Platini hates England like Blatter does

[den525player]

What difference does that make to the top european league?? NOTHING!!

When you look at the new system it benefits the top european leagues even more. The TOP 3 teams go through directly!! currently its only 2, with 2 having to qualify. Now the 4th team from epl will still play just a home and away tie, to go straight through, it is just a little bit tougher.

overall it benefits the top leagues as well as the lesser leagues in europe

[COYS]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

The only reason teams from Eastern Europe are seen as ‘crappy’ is because of the unfair format of the Champions League, and the money that Englilalalalaalian, and Spanish clubs have.

I’d rather see teams like Dynamo Kiev, and Red Star Belgrade emerge as forces in European football once again.

[ForeverBlue'86]

Well - if the trophy was true to its name, only the champions of each domestic league would compete in it, giving teams below it a chance is a tad unfair IMO.

Look at the last 4 winners (Man Utd, AC Milan, Barcelona, Liverpool) - both Barcelona and Man Utd were well deserving of their Champions League wins as they won their domestic leagues at the same time, whereas you look at Liverpool and AC Milan who won it, but they both finished near enough 40 points behind their domestic league champions (Quite the points gap), so, how does that make them "The European Champions"?

[The Masterpiece]

Levadia is better than Belgrade, they should go through automatically

[den525player]

Another reason why platini is doing this is because he knows those "lesser" nations actually have alot of money in football as well, and uefa just wants a piece of that as well!!

[COYS]

Originally Posted by ForeverBlue'86

Liverpool and AC Milan who won it, but they both finished near enough 40 points behind their domestic league champions (Quite the points gap), so, how does that make them "The European Champions"?

It's exactly that situation that is making the competition so farcical.

[Scouser_Dave]

It wont happen EDIT: Sarcasm

[COYS]

Originally Posted by Scouser_Dave

It wont happen

It's not a suggestion is it? According to the article it is the new format from next season.

[Holminho]

Ive thought about it for ages, the whole system should be reverted(or inverted?) to this[Based on 09/10]:

*If the team that wins the domestic trophy also wins the league then promote the second placed team in the league and so on

Top 6 leagues{England,Spain,Italy,France,Germany & Russia} via Co-efficient get[Guaranteed 12 group stage spots]:
1 spot for the team that wins the league
1 spot for the team that wins the domestic knockout trophy
1 qualifying spot for the second placed team in the league

The next 4 leagues{Romania,Portugal,Holland,Scotland} via co-efficient get[Guaranteed 8 group stage spots]:
1 spot for the team that wins the league
1 spot for the team that wins the domestic knockout trophy

The next 4 leagues{Turkey,Ukraine,Belgium,Greece} via co-efficient get[Guaranteed 4 group stage spots]:
1 spot for the team that wins the league
1 qualifying spot for the team that wins the domestic knockout trophy

The 15th ranked league in Europe gets 1 group stage spot, in this case, it's the Czech Republic.

That leave 7 group stage spots to be fought for through qualifying rounds. Any team that fails to qualify for the Champions League gets automatic entry into UEFA Cup/Europa League qualifying.

[COYS]

Even better, revert back to the old format of the competition that was in place in 1991.

[Holminho]

Wouldn't we then have to bring back the Cup winners cup? Which wouldn't necessarily bad i suppose

[Dan]

I understand the idea, but why does Platini always seem to aim his changes because of the English clubs?..

[COYS]

Originally Posted by Danthomas2005

I understand the idea, but why does Platini always seem to aim his changes because of the English clubs?..

I don’t think he does.

Platini is chairman of UEFA, and there are 53 countries in UEFA – not just England, Spain and Italy. The format of continental club competitions should suit the majority of it’s members, not juts the wealthiest.

Twenty years ago there was a fairer (and more exciting format in place), and although you could argue that Englilalalalaalian and Spanish clubs dominated it there were periods where clubs from plenty of other European nations were capable of winning Europe’s premier competition – not now.

[Scouser_Dave]

I don't see what the fuss is about because according to that chart 4th place can still make it into the group stages. The 'big four' get an extra automatic place, doesn't look like UEFA have forced any concessions upon us...

[ILCaesar]

As long as it increases competition, I'm all for it.

[Dan]

Why not increase the number of teams to 64? And have 16 groups before the knock-out round..


That'll be one massive tournament..

[Scouser_Dave]

Originally Posted by Danthomas2005

Why not increase the number of teams to 64? And have 16 groups before the knock-out round..


That'll be one massive tournament..

Would be far to many games to play, unless the tournament started at the beginning of august, but even then that could interfere with internationals and other cups in the european leagues.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by Scouser_Dave

Would be far to many games to play, unless the tournament started at the beginning of august, but even then that could interfere with internationals and other cups in the european leagues.

If you think about it..

It would be practically exactly the same as now...

Group Stage: 64 teams (Top two)
Second Round: 32 teams
Third Round: 16 teams
Quarter-Final: 8 teams
Semi-Final: 4 teams
Final: 2 teams

.. Except there is an extra two-legged tie to play..



*Just throwing it out there..

[ILCaesar]

We deserved our win. If we didn't, some other team would've been in our spot. I find it farcical that a team that wins against the odds suddenly doesn't deserve it. If our team didn't deserve it, another team should've stepped up and won against us to prevent it.