What do you guys thinK?

Over here in toronto, me and ma freinds had a big argument about World Cup, champions league and the Euro Cup.

For me i told them that Champions league is way better than World Cup and Euro, due to the fact that it's more compatitive than the two. they then told me that the reason i say that is due to the fact that am from England!!! anyways what do you guys think World Cup or Champions league or Euro which is the best and more compatitive than the other?

In terms of knife-edge games and tension, IMO nothing beats the CL knockout rounds. Every pair of teams is usually so well matched, or lesser teams play above their ability, and those are probably the best matches of the year for clubs.

But there's certainly something special about the other two tournaments, especially because they are about representing your country, and you only get a chance of glory once every 4 years as opposed to every year. Still, the number of uneven matches due to the need for spreading the entries among federations (and sometimes weak group phases) means my vote for most competitive goes to the Ch. League.

2nd

I think that the Euro is the most exciting, particularly as all the teams in the competition are capable of winning it. The champions league is close, but in 2nd place, while the W/C is good, only because it gives an opportunity to see players that you wouldn't normally get to watch, but, as a competition, it's pretty boring.

I agree with SLB&Millwall.
1) Euro
2) C.L.
3) W.C

Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing in the sport of football can even begin to compare with a World Cup match. The absolute pinnacle of the sport is to play in the World Cup finals tournament. International football is the last bastion of untainted competition in the sport. It is the only platform which has not been ruined by money. It is also the sole representaion of the strength of a footballing nation.

Club football has been diluted so much by teams who are in it for the money and nothing more.

In conclusion, I find that those who put European club football on a pedestal above the World Cup tend to be the kind of people who are into reality TV, Pop music and metrosexuality. They either follow teams like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona or whoever else happens to be flavour of the month or contains front page footballers, or they will support a secondary club or country who's very existence in mediocrity leaves them devoid of passion for the natural game. This in turn leaves them open to the promise of reflected glory with clubs who they force themselves believe represent their country.

@ Isar

the fact that you prefer your club over your country also may indicate that you are short of the overvalued concept that is nationalism. Nothing necessarily wrong with that.

Clubs also usually play better football.

Nationalism does not have to be a bad thing. It's time we took it back from those who look to exploit it for their own evil means. There is nothing more unifying than your country playing in a world cup finals match.

toon h wrote:@ Isar

the fact that you prefer your club over your country also may indicate that you are short of the overvalued concept that is nationalism. Nothing necessarily wrong with that.

Clubs also usually play better football.

Was just about to say that.
As an African Briton living in London, I will get behind England, but I don't have the utmost passion for them. My no.1 within football is the great players - then comes my clubs and then the national game. I'm also put off England because of their pre-historic football philosophy. Most Intl. competitions produce great matches in the group stages, then after that the games become safety-first.

Champions League is the best IMO....Followed by the EURO.....

@TS-I am also half and half....however I chose to support Italy over England ever since 1998...To Be honest I should have the same amount of passion for England as I do for Italy..But for some reason with England I cant!

Isar Truppe wrote:Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing in the sport of football can even begin to compare with a World Cup match. The absolute pinnacle of the sport is to play in the World Cup finals tournament. International football is the last bastion of untainted competition in the sport. It is the only platform which has not been ruined by money. It is also the sole representaion of the strength of a footballing nation.

Club football has been diluted so much by teams who are in it for the money and nothing more.

In conclusion, I find that those who put European club football on a pedestal above the World Cup tend to be the kind of people who are into reality TV, Pop music and metrosexuality. They either follow teams like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona or whoever else happens to be flavour of the month or contains front page footballers, or they will support a secondary club or country who's very existence in mediocrity leaves them devoid of passion for the natural game. This in turn leaves them open to the promise of reflected glory with clubs who they force themselves believe represent their country.

@Isar,

I caompletely agree with you. But then thats because I have no strong allegiances to any particular club as i was never brought up in any one place long enough to form them.

I get most of my enjoyment from watching international football.

But then again I dont think it makes the quality better - club football is usually played at a better level due to how long the players have to become cohesive.

But for me, I totally agree - World Cup is the pinnacle

To me a few years ago the CL was a superb competition. In recent years however I think it has fell of spectacularly. The majority of games are boring. Even in the knock out stages, football killing teams like arsenal and liverpool pollute the competition every year. It's rubbish nowadays.

go and watch uefa cup that's far more intersting...

Only if the Boro are playing.

waft the hapless youth wrote:To me a few years ago the CL was a superb competition. In recent years however I think it has fell of spectacularly. The majority of games are boring. Even in the knock out stages, football killing teams like arsenal and liverpool pollute the competition every year. It's rubbish nowadays.

milan-liverpool has given us one of the best finals ever?

last years final was pretty good as well with arsenal

milan-juve final a few years was one of the worst ever, with about 3 shots on goal in 2 hours of football.

So CL are only finals...?

Knock-out stages were mentioned previously, I mentioned the final because that is what neutrals mostly remember. I think that all the leagues are stronger now than they used to be, and the teams are higher quality, and I am sure we are just neglecting plenty of boring matches in the CL years ago. Difference is now we can watch every match.

the point was about arsenal and liverpool killing football, and my point was that liverpool especially gave us that fantastic game and did play well in other games including beating juve, bayer leverkesuen etc comprehensively on the way by scoring some very good goals.

I just remember being so disappointed by the milan-juve CL final, there was buildup the whole day, we had the pub full to watch football (which is not usual in italy), then we had 2 hours of maybe the least entertaining game I may ever have seen.

So I am not convinced that it was better in the past.

1/ World Cup
2/ Euro Cup
3/ Champions League


Club Football if your a local fan must come out on top. For International football the Euro Cup has the strongest competition. The World Cup for me is still the biggest tournament I want to see. It is the the only competition that brings national teams from all over the world of varying degrees of skill the chance to upset the best teams.

For me the CL is a higher quality of football and is the most exciting. The world cup and euro cup are about equal as second. The CL has a bigger selection of top players than the other top comps, due to some top players playing for weak international teams (giggs being a prime example) therefore never making it to those type of events.

Also I am not sure if the World Cup or the Euros would be as exciting if they were every year. The rarity of the event adds to it.

World Cup, no doubt about that. The champions league is each year, whereas the world cup is every 4 years. If your team fails in the Champions league u know there's another chance in a year, whereas in the world cup if you team fails you are pissed off for 4 years... well 2 coz of the euro

and the other way is the same if your team does a good world cup you can be proud for a while. I do think opinions depends upon wheter your national team is capable of going far in the world cup. If it doesn't well the champions league here to make you dream. After all if you are a football fanatic all three competitions have different levels of intensity, and one amazing game or a few ones in this competition can be remembered for a long time.

Lot of it depends on how you care about your national team. I can't stand so many of the players and the style of the football is so incredibly boring at times its untrue.

Champions league, Premier league > All.

110% wrote:Knock-out stages were mentioned previously, I mentioned the final because that is what neutrals mostly remember. I think that all the leagues are stronger now than they used to be, and the teams are higher quality, and I am sure we are just neglecting plenty of boring matches in the CL years ago. Difference is now we can watch every match.

the point was about arsenal and liverpool killing football, and my point was that liverpool especially gave us that fantastic game and did play well in other games including beating juve, bayer leverkesuen etc comprehensively on the way by scoring some very good goals.

I just remember being so disappointed by the milan-juve CL final, there was buildup the whole day, we had the pub full to watch football (which is not usual in italy), then we had 2 hours of maybe the least entertaining game I may ever have seen.

So I am not convinced that it was better in the past.

110;

I don't just mean the last couple of years. I think it's been tailing off for 5 or 6 years. Ever since they started letting in these mickey mouse clubs who finish like 4th in the league, they have no business in the CL. I remember when you used to get classics in the groups stages like Juve-Man U etc. It's not what it used to be, thats for sure.

waft the hapless youth wrote:
I don't just mean the last couple of years. I think it's been tailing off for 5 or 6 years. Ever since they started letting in these mickey mouse clubs who finish like 4th in the league, they have no business in the CL. I remember when you used to get classics in the groups stages like Juve-Man U etc. It's not what it used to be, thats for sure.

Like clubs that finish 4th in their league, then win the CL, beating 2 league winners in the quarter- and semi-finals, and winning what is generally considered to be the most thrilling final for years, you mean?

Roger That;

That means nothing to me, yes its a great achievement, but you had no right to be in the competition in the first place, it just makes a mockery of it. It should at least be a loose gauge of the best teams in Europe so a fourth placed league team shouldn't be there. Cup competitions can spring surprises and give unfair reflections.

The more bitter you are, the sweeter it tastes to me

And I agree, it should be champions only, like it was when we won it 4 times.

By which standard Man U would not have qualified in 1999

Bitter?

Liverpool are a massive club, but currently they are nowhere near being a great side, irregardless of them winning it recently. You know as well as I they shouldn't be there.

waft the hapless youth wrote:Roger That;

That means nothing to me, yes its a great achievement, but you had no right to be in the competition in the first place, it just makes a mockery of it. It should at least be a loose gauge of the best teams in Europe so a fourth placed league team shouldn't be there. Cup competitions can spring surprises and give unfair reflections.

I don't get what u are saying. Chelsea, arsenal and manu all finished ahead of liverpool in the EPL that season but can u honestly say those teams provided more quality and excitement to the CL than liverpool did?

waft the hapless youth wrote: You know as well as I they shouldn't be there.

Nonsense. Liverpool don't make the entry rules UEFA do.

And check out the seedings - by that measure Liverpool have more 'right' to be there than teams who have won less difficult leagues.

Agooner wrote:

waft the hapless youth wrote:Roger That;

That means nothing to me, yes its a great achievement, but you had no right to be in the competition in the first place, it just makes a mockery of it. It should at least be a loose gauge of the best teams in Europe so a fourth placed league team shouldn't be there. Cup competitions can spring surprises and give unfair reflections.

I don't get what u are saying. Chelsea, arsenal and manu all finished ahead of liverpool in the EPL that season but can u honestly say those teams provided more quality and excitement to the CL than liverpool did?

Excitement is secondary. Even if they won every game 10-9 they still wouldn't have deserved to be there. They finished fourth for Gods sake.