Chumps League - It's a knockout

[Tony Le Mesmer]

http://www.sporcle.com/games/uefachampionsleague.php

Work Time Waster for you.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Poor old Spacey on this one

He hates Arsenal
He hates Man Utd
He hates Chelsea
He hates Henry

Who will he want to win

Yeah, his dilemmas got dilemmas, eh?

Wants Chelsea or Barca to win the Euro Cup rather than sodding Arseholes or Manure.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Prob be Chelsea/Arsenal and then UEFA will force two London clubs and their fans to travel all the way to Rome to play the game rather than taking the obvious decision to move it to Wembley.

Sorry but I disagree with this.
Having been to two European Cup Finals before half the fun is the fact that it’s a trip. Get on a flight, drop your bags in the hotel and get lashed up. That’s why Euro aways are better than any home game. A final at Wembley will be far duller – finish work, have a beer, go to game. Nothing special about that and the final is a special occasion.

Then there is the OBVIOUS planning that goes into such an event. Rome will already have everything pretty much set up. Extra people given jobs, hotels already booked, restaurateurs accounting for an increase in business, hotel owners doing the same. I’m also sure that neutrals / sponsors have already booked their flights etc and with an English club being a banker to get to the final Ryanair and co will be scheduling extra flights.

A CL final is a prestigious event that brings more than just a football game to a city, it brings a lot of tourism with it also.

[Stranded]

Oh, I see your points entirely - it would just seem mildly pointless in that one situation where it's two clubs from the same city to have them all travel there.

Whilst Rome will definitely be set up the logistics of having an additional 40/50k people wanting to fly to and from Heathrow/Gatwick to Rome will be a massive headache.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Well if only the Champions from each country entered then you would never have that problem.

[cmonurz]

All that would create would be a semi-final shoot-out each season between the champions of England, Spain, Italy and Germany (unless the draw didn't allow it - and where the draw stops it happening, and easier route to the final for any of the above).

[TBM]

Whilst Rome will definitely be set up the logistics of having an additional 40/50k people wanting to fly to and from Heathrow/Gatwick to Rome will be a massive headache.

Surely no different to last years final when all the Man Utd and Chelsea fans went from Heathrow/Gatwick

[TBM]

All that would create would be a semi-final shoot-out each season between the champions of England, Spain, Italy and Germany

Tell Porto that

[Ginger Ninjas]

All that would create would be a semi-final shoot-out each season between the champions of England, Spain, Italy and Germany

Tell Porto that

Indeed. And when was a German team most recently in the last four? From 2006-9 it's only been Italian, Spanish and English sides in the semis. PSV in 2005 were the last team from one of the 'smaller' leagues to reach the last four.

[cmonurz]

Well, whatever. If you make it one team per country, you'll get a country like Germany or Portugal represented in the semis who currently aren't.

But changing the competition won't change the fact that only 4 or 5 teams will be capable of winning it, it will just make those teams different to the current handful that have a stranglehold on the competition.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Well, whatever. If you make it one team per country, you'll get a country like Germany or Portugal represented in the semis who currently aren't.

But changing the competition won't change the fact that only 4 or 5 teams will be capable of winning it, it will just make those teams different to the current handful that have a stranglehold on the competition.

Sorry, wasn't trying to be facetious, just illustrating how dominant the 3 leagues have become.

[TheMaraudingDog]

and easier route to the final for any of the above).

Isn't that why Liverpool won it 5 times?

[TheMaraudingDog]

Whilst Rome will definitely be set up the logistics of having an additional 40/50k people wanting to fly to and from Heathrow/Gatwick to Rome will be a massive headache.

Surely no different to last years final when all the Man Utd and Chelsea fans went from Heathrow/Gatwick

On the Monday night before the final 100's of MANCS (including me) slept rough at Stanstead

[cmonurz]

Well, whatever. If you make it one team per country, you'll get a country like Germany or Portugal represented in the semis who currently aren't.

But changing the competition won't change the fact that only 4 or 5 teams will be capable of winning it, it will just make those teams different to the current handful that have a stranglehold on the competition.

Sorry, wasn't trying to be facetious, just illustrating how dominant the 3 leagues have become.

Not at all, I see that. I just think many blame the setup of the competition for the domination of certain teams (currently English sides), when the reality is it's just because we have the best club sides in Europe at the moment.

In that sense, the format has done its job - it's difficult to argue against Barca + 3 of the 4 English sides being the best four clubs in Europe at the moment, so as repetitive as it might be, it can't be wrong that they meet in the semis.

Better that than Barca facing PSV and United playing Lyons (for example) in two one-sided semi-finals.

[TBM]

Better that than Barca facing PSV and United playing Lyons (for example) in two one-sided semi-finals.

But you get the same outcome as you do now, so what is the difference?

[cmonurz]

Better sides entering the competition should, in theory at least, mean better football. It also means that fans are able to watch the continent's best players, as their clubs are involved in the competition.

Let's face it, if, as you admit, the result is the same, there can't be much benefit to lesser sides finding it easier to reach the latter stages of the competition.

[TBM]

Better sides entering the competition should, in theory at least, mean better football. It also means that fans are able to watch the continent's best players, as their clubs are involved in the competition.

Let's face it, if, as you admit, the result is the same, there can't be much benefit to lesser sides finding it easier to reach the latter stages of the competition.

I cant work out if we agree or disagree

[Victor Meldrew]

Whilst Rome will definitely be set up the logistics of having an additional 40/50k people wanting to fly to and from Heathrow/Gatwick to Rome will be a massive headache.

Surely no different to last years final when all the Man Utd and Chelsea fans went from Heathrow/Gatwick

On the Monday night before the final 100's of MANCS (including me) slept rough at Stanstead

I bet all those scum Man Utd fans from nearby Crawley loved sitting next to a hungover ,rough-slept stinking Readingite on the plane (or perhaps you deserve each other m8).
I marvel at what those fans are prepared to put up with to watch their local team.

[papereyes]

How about a more equitable sharing of the cash so the big teams don't get richer at the expense of their competition?

[LUX]

How about a more equitable sharing of the cash so the big teams don't get richer at the expense of their competition?

Graham, can we keep these Socialists off HNA please.