Europa League winner to be given Champions League place

Good decision IMO - will make one or two teams think twice about playing their second string in the latter stages.

Now to fuck off CL group stage drop outs from entering the competition.

FA should follow their lead and make the FA Cup an automatic CL place

Na, I like CL drop-outs going in. Even more quality.

This is a great step.

I would take it further even and allow the losing finalist to play the Cl qualifiers.

But this is a welcomed measure nonetheless.

Luis wrote:Good decision IMO - will make one or two teams think twice about playing their second string in the latter stages.

Now to fuck off CL group stage drop outs from entering the competition.

Me and Luis agree!

Seems far too logical all this. They'll do something mental soon I bet.

They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

110% wrote:They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

The problem with that is that the top leagues will end up with more CL spots and the lower leagues with less. From the rankings point of view that's huge and will give the league that ends up with 5 teams in the CL a huge advantage.

gone wrote:

110% wrote:They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

The problem with that is that the top leagues will end up with more CL spots and the lower leagues with less. From the rankings point of view that's huge and will give the league that ends up with 5 teams in the CL a huge advantage.

Lower leagues don't lose their spots. They create an extra space in the qualifiers should a team win but not end up in a CL position, instead of just putting the team in the last CL qualifier spot in the Europa League. There is an increased chance that one of the weaker teams will be eliminated earlier, but what's the problem with that.

Last season maybe one of dynamo zagreb, montpellier or whoever might not have made it through if chelsea had gone in the qualifiers together with spurs. I would rather have had spurs than them in the CL.

From the rankings point of view you divide the points by the number of teams, so it's only positive if it's a good team, and if it's a good team, then it should be in the CL.

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:This is a great step.

I would take it further even and allow the losing finalist to play the Cl qualifiers.

But this is a welcomed measure nonetheless.

It has been confirmed at UEFA Congress that Europa League losing finalists will not get entry into CL even if the winners have already qualified.

110% wrote:They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

If both CL winners and EL winners come from same country 4th placed team (Spurs) will miss out on CL.

EMP wrote:

110% wrote:They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

If both CL winners and EL winners come from same country 4th placed team (Spurs) will miss out on CL.

Well the chances of 2 teams from the same country winning the CL and the Europa League and then not finishing in the CL spots must be pretty remote, but I am sure when the EPL achieves it the rules will change and the rest of Europe will complain about EPL money

You just know that will happen to Spurs

So if the Europa league winner finishes outside the top 4, there will be 5 CL places.

But if the CL winner finishes outside the top 4, there will be only 4 CL places.

Is that right?

gone wrote:

110% wrote:They're considering raising the max number of teams that can qualify to 5, so for example, the top 4 in the league plus the Europa League winner or CL winner (assuming that the winners don't finish in the top 4 spots).

Somehow it seems fairer, because from the beginning of the season they are told top 4 (or top 3 or whatever), so teams aim for that, and then find at the end of the season that their fate is reliant on another team from their league not winning the CL (and now this will include the Europa League, so double the chance) and there's not a thing they can do about it.

The problem with that is that the top leagues will end up with more CL spots and the lower leagues with less. From the rankings point of view that's huge and will give the league that ends up with 5 teams in the CL a huge advantage.

As long as CL drop outs are removed from the equation, don't believe this will be the case, as you'll have say the top 1 (those that fail in the CL qualification phase) or 2 teams from the lesser leagues VS the 5th placed or below teams from the big leagues.

Murray wrote:So if the Europa league winner finishes outside the top 4, there will be 5 CL places.

But if the CL winner finishes outside the top 4, there will be only 4 CL places.

Is that right?

It depends on where the EL winner finishes in that scenario. There can be up to 5, but no more. The question was asked, but it will take ages to find the answer from the Press Conference. It may well be reported tomorrow. If I get a chance I'll listen to recording and let you know, but like I said it was extraordinarily long.

are there no teams based in England in the Europa League?

The expression of Moyes' face watching Swansea play 'Puro Toque' football and utterly destroying some team from up north...ah Malmo's the name.   

Michu and Bony

Swansea have a better strike force than us and they only had to pay £14m for it. Laudrup has strengthened well and Swansea could have another good season

Puro wrote:are there no teams based in England in the Europa League?

Puro, this is a qualifying stage of the Europa League; the bigger teams will enter later.