Format changes to the Europa League?

UEFA is considering format changes to the EL to make it more attractive, including:

- Giving CL qualification to the finalists / semi-finalists, and
- scrapping the competition altogether, and expanding the CL to 64 teams.

What do you guys think?

I am not sure about the merging of the two competitions, it may dilute the CL which will be a shame. The CL works, and its format should be retained. However, the first option of handing out CL qualification incentives sounds interesting, and that should appeal to the bigger clubs, making them take the competition more seriously.

I would be in agreement with giving the winner a place in the next year's CL. Maybe even the losing finalist. But there needs to be an incentive for teams to take it seriously. I wouldn't like to see the CL expanded any further, personally. But I'm sure that comes as no surprise to anyone here (ANTI PROGRESS!)

Already cvommented in the Europa League Forum thread. I think 64 Teams CL is not good even when it could be interesting, but there are already only 8-16 CL worthy teams atm. We already have 5-1 and 4-0 results regularly in CL and adding a big can of thrash won't do it any favour
There is a chance that all these teams get more money and become a bit more competitive over time, but then its easier to upgrade the Europa League. Option 1 for me.

At the moment the CL gives a payment of 40 million to the Europa League, kind of like compensation for the loser teams that drop into it and then take the prize money. I hear that the CL generates 1.3 billion, so they take the piss with a 40 million donation, especially as I hear that Uefa takes 300 million of the 1.3 billion for themselves. The whole system is fucked up, and certainly uefa are not the ones that are going to fix it since they have got their fingers in the pot. No wonder the clubs want to break away.

I reckon the CL clubs would make a deal to give the Europa League more money if the "uefa family" were not such a bunch of greedy fuckers.

The European Super League (and it's 2nd and 3rd tiers) is being created by stealth.

Ban the CL group losers from the Europa League, and give the Europa League Winners the prize of a CL place at the expense of the last CL qualifier in their country if they finish outside the CL places domestically.

If teams from the same country win both the CL & the EL, (i.e. Barca & Sevilla in 2006) but both finish outside of a CL qualifying position in their league, then both would qualify at the expense of those who finished 3rd & 4th (or 2nd and 3rd depending on the league strength) in their league.

thats all crap

just give the EL more money, yeah and give the 2 teams in the final cl quali spots

the CL is perfect right now

Leave the actual CL formant as it is.

Scrap the Europa League and replace it with a version of the old style Cup Winners' Cup.

Winner of domestic trophy obviously qualifies for the Cup Winners' Cup outright.

Semi finalists and other finalist of domestic cup competitions qualify for a pre-Cup Winners' Cup knockout (one off game)

Winner of the Cup Winners' Cup qualifies for the CL outright.

Semi finalists and the finalist qualify for the pre-CL knock out phase.

Result:

Domestic Trophies become more prestigious again, with CL qualification teams will want to win the Cup Winners' Cup. The added caveat of semi finalists/finalist provides a lifeline to a spread of teams so that it won't be constantly the usual procession of only the big clubs dominating qualification, and is far more logical than giving the 3rd place teams in the group stages the ability to jump in on the Europa League in the knock out stages.

That french fuck Platini wants to ruin the CL on purpose so he make a super European league in the future. The Euro league is abysmal, they should get rid of group stages and increase the money. Perhaps by making the CL more exclusive the Europa league will gain more fame again. And get the cup winners cup ffs! I want that title cause it's the only one we havent won yet.

What I actually like about Platini is, that he actually DOES sth in his job. EC, EL/CL, Financial FP...
Instead of old c**t Blatter who either does nothing or doesn't do anything

Problem is too many big changes, that seem rather bad on the first view. EC among europe could work for me ONE TIME, but I wouldn't want that forever. 24 teams is a joke too.
Instead of making EL better, he removes it and makes CL a big mess. Another overloaded joke.


It seems he actually want to do sth for the eastern euorpean and minnow countries with those changes...but is that really the solution? I can see where he's coming from, but I'm not sure it works like he think it will work.

Reminds me a bit on the old Computer games of the 90th, where you die 100times before finishing the game and the newer games, where everyone whine when they die one time and with the next patch, its secure that even the greatest brick can finish the game with closed eyes, because the masses wan't it the easy way and spent only money on games that they can solve without constraints. -> If you cater to the dumb masses you lose the spirit of the games/kill the interesting part. Making one game with different difficulties (EL/CL) is better than one for all.

Platini is off his head

Be boss if the winners and runners up got Champions league places, thats enough attraction already. Expanding the Champions League more than that is beyond stupidity. Plus how tedious would it be to watch these group stages of 64 teams? It's boring enough in the Europa League.

Completely agree with what everyone had said...

1. Keep the CL as it is. Don't mess with something that ain't broke.
2. Give CL qualification to the EL finalists, and CL qualifying round to the semi-finalists.
3. A bigger share of the CL money should go to the EL
4. CL group stage 3rd place teams should NOT be allowed to play in the EL

I think these measures should work. I will just add a new one:

5. Reduce the number of teams in the EL. The current EL group stage is way too big. Cutting that 48 teams to 32 (like in the CL) would make a lot of sense, commercially and from a quality of football point of view. Or make it a KO competition.

I'm sending this thread to FIFA itself.

We can make a difference

bluenine wrote:Completely agree with what everyone had said...

1. Keep the CL as it is. Don't mess with something that ain't broke.
2. Give CL qualification to the EL finalists, and CL qualifying round to the semi-finalists.
3. A bigger share of the CL money should go to the EL
4. CL group stage 3rd place teams should NOT be allowed to play in the EL

I think these measures should work. I will just add a new one:

5. Reduce the number of teams in the EL. The current EL group stage is way too big. Cutting that 48 teams to 32 (like in the CL) would make a lot of sense, commercially and from a quality of football point of view. Or make it a KO competition.

I suggest the ones below are better:
1. Get the CL back to when good and interesting teams were in it. Way too many uninteresting games these days. get rid of the likes of Cyprus FC
2. OK
3. You can't just give more money to the Europa League, you need to get it from somewhere and I suggest that a smaller cut is given to Uefa. I have played football since I was 6 years old in HK, UK, Italy etc. Uefa and Fifa talk a lot of shit about grass roots development but they have never provided any facilities, coaches etc as far as I am aware.
4. OK
5. OK
6. Introduce a carling cup of europe for the teams cut from the europa league in point 5. Stick Cyprus FC in here, they can play out 0-0 draws to their hearts content without me having to watch it.