Champions League/Europa League 2019/20

[Brum Royal]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

[Stranded]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

[Sutekh]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

The way it’s going currently, how long before Reading, at their current level, will just be missing out on a European place?

Overall, far far too much football played these days and all leagues, FAs and clubs wanting get their “cut” and they they all moan about having to play too many times a week and how that’s ruining thing for the players and fans.

Perhaps if everyone stopped chasing the £££££££ and returned to the days when the European cup/Champions League was contested only between the champions of each country (plus the holders of different) and FIFA/UEFA stopped inventing pointless competitions to fill unnecessary international breaks etc. then players/teams wouldn’t be playing too many times and we could all start appreciating the game more.

Yes I know it’ll never happen.

[Stranded]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

The way it’s going currently, how long before Reading, at their current level, will just be missing out on a European place?

Overall, far far too much football played these days and all leagues, FAs and clubs wanting get their “cut” and they they all moan about having to play too many times a week and how that’s ruining thing for the players and fans.

Perhaps if everyone stopped chasing the £££££££ and returned to the days when the European cup/Champions League was contested only between the champions of each country (plus the holders of different) and FIFA/UEFA stopped inventing pointless competitions to fill unnecessary international breaks etc. then players/teams wouldn’t be playing too many times and we could all start appreciating the game more.

Yes I know it’ll never happen.

TBF it will be the same number of teams in Europe from 21/22 just spread over 3 competitions not 2.

[BR0B0T]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

The way it’s going currently, how long before Reading, at their current level, will just be missing out on a European place?

Overall, far far too much football played these days and all leagues, FAs and clubs wanting get their “cut” and they they all moan about having to play too many times a week and how that’s ruining thing for the players and fans.

Perhaps if everyone stopped chasing the £££££££ and returned to the days when the European cup/Champions League was contested only between the champions of each country (plus the holders of different) and FIFA/UEFA stopped inventing pointless competitions to fill unnecessary international breaks etc. then players/teams wouldn’t be playing too many times and we could all start appreciating the game more.

Yes I know it’ll never happen.

Yeah, can't wait to watch 17_Nantori restage their battle against Linfield

Nantori went through on away goals in 82/83

[Zip]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

+1. In many ways the UEFA Cup was the best competition of the lot. It was ultra competitive.

[From Despair To Where?]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

The way it’s going currently, how long before Reading, at their current level, will just be missing out on a European place?

Overall, far far too much football played these days and all leagues, FAs and clubs wanting get their “cut” and they they all moan about having to play too many times a week and how that’s ruining thing for the players and fans.

Perhaps if everyone stopped chasing the £££££££ and returned to the days when the European cup/Champions League was contested only between the champions of each country (plus the holders of different) and FIFA/UEFA stopped inventing pointless competitions to fill unnecessary international breaks etc. then players/teams wouldn’t be playing too many times and we could all start appreciating the game more.

Yes I know it’ll never happen.

I was reading somewhere the other day that Sadio Mane had played 74 games and travelled 106,000 miles last season and Son Heoung-Min had played fewer games but travelled 110,000 miles and that includes 3 months of lockdown.

It's insane really. These players are eventually going to break.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

The old system of Champions League / UEFA Cup / Cup Winners Cup was a far better European set up than the current model, especially with the Champions League-Europa League drop out system they currently operate.

And we have the "joy" of the European Conference starts next year. Europa League drops to 32 teams and the Conference takes the other 32. League Cup winner (or 7th in the PL) get the joy of competing.

3rd place in a Europa League group drop to the Conference knock outs and Conference winners get a spot in the Europa League the following year.

The way it’s going currently, how long before Reading, at their current level, will just be missing out on a European place?

Overall, far far too much football played these days and all leagues, FAs and clubs wanting get their “cut” and they they all moan about having to play too many times a week and how that’s ruining thing for the players and fans.

Perhaps if everyone stopped chasing the £££££££ and returned to the days when the European cup/Champions League was contested only between the champions of each country (plus the holders of different) and FIFA/UEFA stopped inventing pointless competitions to fill unnecessary international breaks etc. then players/teams wouldn’t be playing too many times and we could all start appreciating the game more.

Yes I know it’ll never happen.

Couldn’t agree more, as you say it’ll never happen but it’s madness but sadly everyone is chasing the money/advertising/sponsorship etc can’t see it changing but there must come a point where you can’t keep adding competitions and games to the season, especially European competitions with even more travelling

And, a bit like domestic competitions, the more tournaments you add, the more you water it all down and things don’t mean as much, and the less people care but I guess it all comes back to the money

[South Coast Royal]

A bit odd that the morning after a Champs League final played between what are considered to be 2 attractive footballing sides there are no comments on a site that is ostensibly to do with football.
Are we that insular that people didn't watch nor care because it was a couple of foreign sides playing each other or (more likely?) because the match was only on BT ?

As expected the efficient and very skillful Bayern Munich had most of the play and scored a well-worked goal.
PSG had chances but their very expensive forwards didn't take them and the Germans could well have scored more.

With Sane adding yet another pacey winger to their squad -when the subs collected medals we were reminded of how deep their squad already goes-things are looking very good for the Germans and neither Lewandowski nor Muller show any signs of slowing down.
We should have known (I did back them to win it) how good they were after the earlier demolitions of both Spurs and Chelsea before they took Barcelona apart the other day.

[BR0B0T]

A bit odd that the morning after a Champs League final played between what are considered to be 2 attractive footballing sides there are no comments on a site that is ostensibly to do with football.
Are we that insular that people didn't watch nor care because it was a couple of foreign sides playing each other or (more likely?) because the match was only on BT ?

As expected the efficient and very skillful Bayern Munich had most of the play and scored a well-worked goal.
PSG had chances but their very expensive forwards didn't take them and the Germans could well have scored more.

With Sane adding yet another pacey winger to their squad -when the subs collected medals we were reminded of how deep their squad already goes-things are looking very good for the Germans and neither Lewandowski nor Muller show any signs of slowing down.
We should have known (I did back them to win it) how good they were after the earlier demolitions of both Spurs and Chelsea before they took Barcelona apart the other day.

Utd let Herrera go for FREE and didn't replace him!!

[South Coast Royal]

A bit odd that the morning after a Champs League final played between what are considered to be 2 attractive footballing sides there are no comments on a site that is ostensibly to do with football.
Are we that insular that people didn't watch nor care because it was a couple of foreign sides playing each other or (more likely?) because the match was only on BT ?

As expected the efficient and very skillful Bayern Munich had most of the play and scored a well-worked goal.
PSG had chances but their very expensive forwards didn't take them and the Germans could well have scored more.

With Sane adding yet another pacey winger to their squad -when the subs collected medals we were reminded of how deep their squad already goes-things are looking very good for the Germans and neither Lewandowski nor Muller show any signs of slowing down.
We should have known (I did back them to win it) how good they were after the earlier demolitions of both Spurs and Chelsea before they took Barcelona apart the other day.

Utd let Herrera go for FREE and didn't replace him!!

Not sure what that stupid club does has any relevance to this ,however didn't they buy the answer to their prayers, the penalty king Fernandes?
They might actually learn from PSG that (unlike Bayern Munchen) spend, spend, spend doesn't often work.

[BR0B0T]

A bit odd that the morning after a Champs League final played between what are considered to be 2 attractive footballing sides there are no comments on a site that is ostensibly to do with football.
Are we that insular that people didn't watch nor care because it was a couple of foreign sides playing each other or (more likely?) because the match was only on BT ?

As expected the efficient and very skillful Bayern Munich had most of the play and scored a well-worked goal.
PSG had chances but their very expensive forwards didn't take them and the Germans could well have scored more.

With Sane adding yet another pacey winger to their squad -when the subs collected medals we were reminded of how deep their squad already goes-things are looking very good for the Germans and neither Lewandowski nor Muller show any signs of slowing down.
We should have known (I did back them to win it) how good they were after the earlier demolitions of both Spurs and Chelsea before they took Barcelona apart the other day.

Utd let Herrera go for FREE and didn't replace him!!

Not sure what that stupid club does has any relevance to this ,however didn't they buy the answer to their prayers, the penalty king Fernandes?
They might actually learn from PSG that (unlike Bayern Munchen) spend, spend, spend doesn't often work.

You may have noticed him playing in the game you were talking about!

[Sanguine]

Probably in a minority of not wanting the CL to revert to the old European Cup style, with champions only. As valid as older European Cup wins are, some of the teams beaten to reach later stages are laughable.

To reach the semi finals in 1981, Liverpool beat OPS (Finnish champions), Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia. Forest actually beat Liverpool (the holders) in the first round in 1978, but then faced AEK Athens, Grasshopper and Koln (who admittedly were decent back then) to make the final.

[South Coast Royal]

Utd let Herrera go for FREE and didn't replace him!!

Not sure what that stupid club does has any relevance to this ,however didn't they buy the answer to their prayers, the penalty king Fernandes?
They might actually learn from PSG that (unlike Bayern Munchen) spend, spend, spend doesn't often work.

You may have noticed him playing in the game you were talking about!

A minor role in a losing team-decent player though and a bit of a surprise that Man Utd just let him go to a better team for nothing.

[South Coast Royal]

Probably in a minority of not wanting the CL to revert to the old European Cup style, with champions only. As valid as older European Cup wins are, some of the teams beaten to reach later stages are laughable.

To reach the semi finals in 1981, Liverpool beat OPS (Finnish champions), Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia. Forest actually beat Liverpool (the holders) in the first round in 1978, but then faced AEK Athens, Grasshopper and Koln (who admittedly were decent back then) to make the final.

Personally I favour a seeded Cup competition rather than a seeded league system so that the whole thing is not so drawn out with dead rubbers etc.

[6ft Kerplunk]

A bit odd that the morning after a Champs League final played between what are considered to be 2 attractive footballing sides there are no comments on a site that is ostensibly to do with football.
Are we that insular that people didn't watch nor care because it was a couple of foreign sides playing each other or (more likely?) because the match was only on BT ?

It was a pretty dull match tbf. Munich deserved to win and that's about it. Everyone could have watched it, its in BT's contract that it has to be free to air which they try to publicise as little as possible and stick it out on their youtube channel.

[South Coast Royal]

I probably enjoyed it because of wanting (financially as well as aesthetically) Bayern Munchen to win.
Surprisingly quite a few pundits seemed to get swung along by the star names playing up front for PSG, forgetting the other areas of the pitch, and predicted a win for them.

Beforehand I thought the two wingers for Bayern Munchen would be too hot for the PSG full-backs to handle-it didn't work out like that even if the goal came from one of them.

The game itself may not have lived up to people's expectations but do cup finals ever?

[BR0B0T]

Not sure what that stupid club does has any relevance to this ,however didn't they buy the answer to their prayers, the penalty king Fernandes?
They might actually learn from PSG that (unlike Bayern Munchen) spend, spend, spend doesn't often work.

You may have noticed him playing in the game you were talking about!

A minor role in a losing team-decent player though and a bit of a surprise that Man Utd just let him go to a better team for nothing.

that's wot I SAID!!!!

[BR0B0T]

Probably in a minority of not wanting the CL to revert to the old European Cup style, with champions only. As valid as older European Cup wins are, some of the teams beaten to reach later stages are laughable.

To reach the semi finals in 1981, Liverpool beat OPS (Finnish champions), Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia. Forest actually beat Liverpool (the holders) in the first round in 1978, but then faced AEK Athens, Grasshopper and Koln (who admittedly were decent back then) to make the final.

'greed! Mentioned earlier that the Albanian champions made it to the second round

much harder to win now...