Champions League - fucked and pointless

[Lossieboy]

Will Porto be the last club that doesnt play in either England, Spain or Italy be crowned Champions of Europe?

will we ever see any more of the great teams from smaller leagues such as Benfica, Celtic or Ajax?

Time For Platini to limit any country to two places in the Champions League to encourage a level playing field throughout Europe.

[Peter]

Lossieboy wrote:


> Time For Platini to limit any country to two places in the
> Champions League to encourage a level playing field throughout
> Europe.
>
>

Should be limited to its title, **Champions** League, or renamed.

[Robches]

It's the European League by another name, the old European Cup is, sadly, dead and gone.

[Guilbert]

Trouble is they need to TV revenue, so it is all about keeping the teams from England, Italy, Spain and Germany (mainly) in the competition for as long as possible.

They dont want the teams from Scotland, Norway, Belgium etc in it because they dont pull in the big TV numbers.

They have also tried to remove "sudden death" matches to give the big teams a second chance to get through if they have a bad game in the first leg.

Remember 1979, Malmo of all teams got in the final (lost to Notts Forest).

We will never see a Malmo in the final again.

[Meatus]

When it first started it was only the Champions and it was a good format. But i think it was all the top clubs, the G18 or whatever were upset cause if they didn't one the league then they weren't in it and lost out on a lot of money. So they were talking about starting their own competion etc. So they extended the teams and the format. It's all about the big clubs and the big clubs getting richer, but on the odd occasion a small team would come through and do well, now those days are long gone

[Peter]

I prefer it to being run on an FA cup basis. Everyone in the hat from round one, no seeding, anyone can play anyone in the first round.

Combine both euro competitions into this. Never happen though, too much opportunity for the big TV money spinners to be knocked out early.

[Brainsinmedick]

I think they have gone too far with the new format. As Lossieboy said, limit it to two teams from each country.
But I can't agree with people who hanker for the days when only the champions were in it. I recall those times, four ties and you were in the final, one game against the champions of Ireland, a game against the best Malta could offer and it was considered a tough draw if you got Bruges.
Quiz, who did Roma beat in the 1984 semi-final to avert an all british final?

[mutanthalibut]

Dundee Utd.

Ipswich also did well in Europe back in those days.