GibbosEmpire
Well-known member
I think this is to counter the Super League and to make it more interesting
New Champions League format
- Thread starter GibbosEmpire
- Start date
Colgates_shaving_foam
Well-known member
I only watch the final these days with it being on bt/whatever it's called now.
TheYorkshireTerrier
Well-known member
Just seen this, nice little explainer video to go with it:
WilliamMunny
Well-known member
How is it unfair if each team gets 4 home games and 4 away games?
Jonny Ingbar
Well-known member
It's certainly the best standard of football anywhere, better than any of the domestic leagues, or the international tournaments.
I don't fall out with it no longer being by definition the 'champions' league, because it includes more of the best teams competing.
But it does seem to be ever expanding and we almost have a super league creeping up on us in plain sight, which will make any renewed push for that to come easier - I get that Uefa are trying to satisfy as many clubs as they can, including the biggest ones.
I don't fall out with it no longer being by definition the 'champions' league, because it includes more of the best teams competing.
But it does seem to be ever expanding and we almost have a super league creeping up on us in plain sight, which will make any renewed push for that to come easier - I get that Uefa are trying to satisfy as many clubs as they can, including the biggest ones.
Unravel_Morrison
Well-known member
Yes, we're boycotting it.Boro won't be joining any time soon
Our UEFA cup group stages was 5 teams playing 4 matches, 2 home and 2 away. Plenty of other sports, especially the american ones, where they don't play every team evenly. It's a cup competition, not a league even though it will have a league format appearance. There is no winner of the league it's based on a ranking to determine which teams progress to the next round. You can get lucky/unlucky with the draw, as you can in any cup format.
In general, the format should ensure the stronger teams get through and the weaker teams don't. It's far less likely a weak team will get a run of results good enough over 8 games but it can happen in a 4 team league. It also protects the big teams because the chances of 3 strong teams in a 4 team league is quite high but they can all still qualify in this format.
I.e. it's set up to ensure the big teams make the knockouts every time.
I think it gives weaker teams a better chance of getting through to the knockout stage.
If you think of every team either being a seed 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Currently a seed 4 team needs to find 8 or 9 points from:
2 matches v seed 1 team
2 matches v seed 2 team
2 matches v seed 3 team
0 matches v seed 4 team
In the new format 9 points will still probably get you through but they will have the following matches to get them:
2 matches v seed 1 team
2 matches v seed 2 team
2 matches v seed 3 team
2 matches v seed 4 team
They now have 2 matches against a seed 4 teams which should give them a better chance of picking up results.
On the contrary, seed 1 teams now have to face two matches against other seed 1 teams in the group stage. This theoretically gives them a more difficult set of fixtures to get their points from.
Quicksilvera
Well-known member
I’m sure that’s what the Leicester fans said before promotion, there is always a chance.Boro won't be joining any time soon
Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
Yet another bore fest to appease the wealthy clubs. Knockout from round one, two legs.
asredastheycome
Well-known member
Don't watch it so not really sure whether an improvement or not.
But only the top 8 go through automatically. The next 16 go to a playoff which means that a weaker team has to qualify for the playoffs and beat another higher ranked team to get through.
The number of weaker teams are expanding, not stronger ones, which means more weak teams for the big teams to beat. In the 4 team group a weak team can get through because one good team under-performs. If a good team under-performs in the 36 team format the next best team just takes their place instead.
The only reason they make any sort of change to the format is to make it easier for the big clubs to make money. They wouldn't make a change if there was any chance it would disadvantage the big clubs in any way.
I don't think it's any easier for the big teams to get through. It's already set up for the number 1 seeded teams to get through. They have to have a disaster not to.
The play-off is essentially an extra knock out round which the seed 4 teams now have a more realistic chance of qualifying for. Take a team like Rangers for example. Virtually no chance of getting through to the knockout stage at the moment. Now if they can beat two seed 4 teams they could scrape another result and get themselves into the knockout stage.
You are right, there is an extra financial gain for the big teams though. As they get 2 matches against other seed 1 teams in the group stage which they never got before. So even if they got knocked out early they will still have benefitted from a big clash in the group stage.
There'll be more matches and more matches between the big clubs which is all extra revenue. But it does give the smaller clubs a better chance at qualification and getting a knockout tie.