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Friday, 30 August, 2002, 09:46 GMT 10:46 UK
Should Champions League format change?
Europe's top clubs prepare to fight Uefa proposals to reduce the amount of matches played in the Champions League.
Does the tournament need the shake-up?
Friday sees the annual assembly of European football's superpowers - and Uefa are bracing themselves for a backlash to their proposals. Uefa want to axe the second group phase from the tournament, reducing the total amount of games a finalist would play from 16 to 12.
But Europe's elite - including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester Utd - are opposed to the plans, which would significantly reduce their revenue. Would the changes make the Champions League more exciting? Or do you back the clubs?
This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below. I am tired of this competition being called the Champions league. That league regularly features teams like Bayer Leverkusen, never champions of their country.
I remember the good old Champions Cup, when only champions of the respective countries played in the competition. The Champions League is only a money-making tournament, and not a great competition in the sporting sense.
I agree with Uefa's stand on this matter. There are so many also-rans who are playing in a tournament for Champions that it cheapens the concept. Think of the ever-increasing number of 'world champions' in every weight of boxing. Think then of how much respect a fighter gets for unifying his world title.
The clubs that are complaining seem to be the very same ones who claim their players are exhausted and overworked at the end of the season. I totally agree that only the champions should be entered into the Champions League, without having to play preliminary rounds.
I also think that the team finishing third in the first group stage should not be entered into the Uefa Cup. This team had their chance and failed. Doing this de-values the Uefa Cup.
Leave the name as it is, but let only the champions enter. The runners-up of each league and potentially the third-placed team could enter the Uefa Cup. Let us then bring back the Cup-Winners Cup where the winners of each nation's cup competition would be entered into. Teams like Real Madrid don't want to lose the second group phase because they need the money to pay for transfers like those of Figo, Zidane and now Ronaldo.
Maybe with the loss of revenue we will see some normality return to the football market where we don't end up paying over the top for players, and teams like Fiorentina don't end up going into administration.
The only team that should qualify for Europe is the team that wins the Championship. The Uefa Cup should be abolished as it rewards people who have ultimately achieved a league position that in principle should not be rewarded.
I agree with making it just the champions to enter the Champions League. This gives the teams more determination to win their respective leagues. Teams can say now "if we get in the top three at least we will still be in the Champions League". The football was better and more exciting the old way.
Both major European competitions have too many teams in them. The Champions League should be for the champions, and then the second placed teams of the major leagues have to play each other for the remaining places. One group stage and then seeded knock-out stages would be good. The Uefa Cup should firstly be the teams that failed to qualify, then all the remaining second placed, and the major third placed teams should get in too. Domestic cup holders compete for the other places.
The Champions League is no longer for champions; Bayer Leverkeusen, last year's runners-up, have never won the German league. Good luck to the British clubs in Europe this year. Blackburn especially! The "Champions" League is a bore. Same sides in it every year playing each other in a format designed so that all the big clubs get every chance possible of getting through to the knock out stages.
Of course it needs to change. Champions only would be a good start! Man Utd came third in their League, yet would even get home advantage if they got to the final. Ridiculous.
The format should revert back to a straight knockout from the word go. Only the country's champions should be entered and the defending champions. This should allow the Uefa Cup to regain some prestige with the best of the rest competing for honours.
This may allow football to be played by footballers who want to win for their clubs and not be dictated by the amount of money involved in the current Champions League. It is in it's present state boring and only gets worth watching in the knock out phase anyway
The Champions League should be exactly that - the league champions, the FA Cup champions and the Worthington cup champions. That's three champions for the Champions League. Why on earth does fourth in the league constitute being a "champion" when winning a trophy doesn't? Mind boggling!
There needs to be a radical overhaul of the European game to prevent clubs all over the continent going out of business. Firstly, make it the Champions League for the Champions.
Have the Champions from the top 24 ranked nations gain automatic qualification then the next sixteen battle it out for the remaining eight places. That way there is a greater diversity in the competition. The return of the Cup Winners Cup should also happen and the Uefa cup made smaller.
Anyone else confused? These same teams whine about too many games each season, and Wenger saying that there should be fewer teams only a few days ago? It's almost like they don't want to risk another excuse being taken away in case they have a dismal season! Very odd!
Not only should the second group stage be removed but the whole competition should revert to its earlier format where only the league champions compete in the European Cup. It should also be a straight forward two-leg knock-out with no safety net.
The planned reforms to the Champions League address the need to reduce the number of meaningless group matches played and improve the quality of the actual product. Fewer games will preserve the fitness of the players for the knockout stages and the larger clubs should still qualify for the quarter finals.
The G14 clubs have become dependent upon the revenue from the group matches. Now they must re-evaluate their cost bases before 2003/4 and recognise that the vitality of the game itself must take precedence ahead of their own finances.
Everyone is bashing the accountants, but it is the revenue from this competition that is funding the tremendous improvement in the standard of the Premiership. The success of several EPL clubs in Europe enables them to bring in the Verons and Barthezs, etc. It also enables them to push $50million to Leeds for Rio, and the trickle down of the cash strengthens the domestic league.
Of course, we could go back to the days of the old European Cup, only true champions, and the thrills of a totally UK-based Premier League. Joe Jordan slugging it out with Micky Droy, anyone? I don't see the players offering to take pay cuts to allow for fewer matches, either.
There have been too many boring games since the second group stage was introduced. Football should be special - not a conveyor belt of mediocrity. Arsene Wenger was right - make the Champions League just for champions and then have the Uefa Cup for others.
By all means, drop the group stage. The results from the World Cup should surely point to the fact that some of the big names in football are playing too many games to keep in top form. Playing fewer games will also make the competition more exciting...Which fan doesn't love the death or glory ride of a knockout match as opposed to a group game?
I'm a football fan through and through but must admit that I'd rather go and watch local youth sides playing football than all the stuff that's dished up on TV nowadays. In the past top games between the top clubs were like caviar but if you eat caviar every day it too becomes boring.
I totally agree with changing the format. Maybe they should also revert to just calling it the European cup as well, as it is not a true Champions League. It would make for much more entertaining games, rather than some of the bore draws that are played out currently.
The clubs moan that too many games are played, but when they are reduced they still moan. Maybe they are more worried about the reduced revenue rather than fewer games?
I'd prefer a straight knockout, and the competition limited to the actual champions. Having two group stages is totally over the top and a real bore of you're not a fan of one of the clubs involved. The big clubs' opposition is totally predictable and further proof that they care only about money, not football. The competition should be left as it is. The second group phase is much more exciting than a knockout tie could ever be, as qualification can depend on matches taking place elsewhere. The possibility of penalties is also removed.
Knockout ties are too straightforward and the first legs are often bore-draws. Instead the competition should simply be reduced to 16 teams.
The less games the better in my opinion. The big clubs are simply worried about a loss of revenue and should worry more about the fitness of their players.
If you want to maintain the income levels to keep the accountants happy and increase the excitement for the fans, why not start with six groups of six (10 games each and potentially more excitement during the group stages).
Take the top two from each group along with the four best third places to give 16 teams, then work down to a winner based on home and away legs with a single leg final. Everyone's happy, or are they?
They complain about too many games and then turn down the opportunity to play less games....makes sense - only to the accountants. Personally, I find the two group stages very boring and rarely tune in until the quarter-finals anyway. Would-be advertisers take note.
The reason why clubs want a group stage is because it's a money spinner. But as an impartial spectator it's not very interesting viewing.
I think the whole competition is a farce, if we are going to have a Champions League it should be champions playing in it, not sides that finish second or third. Last time I checked, you can only have one champion per country can't you?
The second phase makes the competition too long. The proposal will make it more exciting.
Yes, I believe the changes will make the CL more exciting. The CL now really starts in the quarter-finals, the knockout stage. The more knockout stages, the more exciting the tournament is. The G14 are only thinking about the money, not about the game.
The players complain that there are too many matches in a season, and this was cited as a cause of England's poor show in Japan. Some of the group games in the CL become meaningless. The only people who WANT this extra round are the big clubs and their accountants, who want to milk the cash-cow for as long as possible. Scrap it all I say, and bring back the knock-out Champions Cup.
It is, after all, good for football (but not accountants) if the likes of Man Utd get turned over by a supposedly smaller club.
The Champions League has become boring. The first stage groupings are fine - a club that qualifies for Europe ought to get a few guaranteed games - but the second stage groups are way over the top.
G14 are simply selfish - and should be aware that the rest of us do not consider it our role in life to just make everything easy for them. If Arsenal, Liverpool etc don't like it, they could try taking all domestic competitions seriously.
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30 Aug 02 | Champions League
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