Champions League, Europa League & Europa Vauxhall Conference League 25/26

[From Despair To Where?]

Is it me or is English football absolutley nuts at the moment. We have many historically mid-sized clubs or those with limited success now competing Domestically and Europe, with multiple trophies being won.

West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (inc. FA Cup)
Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland competing in Europe

Probably missed loads but I am not feeling 100% and very tired - fill in the gaps if you want

If England had as many places in 2007 as it has now, we'd have comfortably qualified for Europe.

I think European competition needs to be scaled down.

No country should have more than 2 qualifiers for the Champions League (plus previous seasons winner and maybe Europa League winner), no more than 4 into the Europa league and close the Conference League off for the 6 countries with the highest co-efficient.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Palace and Vallacano fans getting to know each other in Leipzig today

Why is nearly everyone wearing the same clothes?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Is it me or is English football absolutley nuts at the moment. We have many historically mid-sized clubs or those with limited success now competing Domestically and Europe, with multiple trophies being won.

West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (inc. FA Cup)
Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland competing in Europe

Probably missed loads but I am not feeling 100% and very tired - fill in the gaps if you want

In years to come everyone will be in some sort of nothing European competition or a playoff of some sort.

It’s all about the money

[South Coast Royal]

Is it me or is English football absolutley nuts at the moment. We have many historically mid-sized clubs or those with limited success now competing Domestically and Europe, with multiple trophies being won.

West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (inc. FA Cup)
Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland competing in Europe

Probably missed loads but I am not feeling 100% and very tired - fill in the gaps if you want

If England had as many places in 2007 as it has now, we'd have comfortably qualified for Europe.

I think European competition needs to be scaled down.

No country should have more than 2 qualifiers for the Champions League (plus previous seasons winner and maybe Europa League winner), no more than 4 into the Europa league and close the Conference League off for the 6 countries with the highest co-efficient.

Agreed but there are no signs of reducing numbers and the same goes with this extending of places for the World Cup.
It feels crazy that a team gaining less than 60 points and finishing 6th could qualify for what is a league for "champions".

[BRO_BOT]

Palace and Vallacano fans getting to know each other in Leipzig today

Why is nearly everyone wearing the same clothes?

Harder for the police to identify a specific person

[Winston Biscuit]

Is it me or is English football absolutley nuts at the moment. We have many historically mid-sized clubs or those with limited success now competing Domestically and Europe, with multiple trophies being won.

West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (inc. FA Cup)
Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland competing in Europe

Probably missed loads but I am not feeling 100% and very tired - fill in the gaps if you want

In years to come everyone will be in some sort of nothing European competition or a playoff of some sort.

It’s all about the money

yep. more games = more advertising money for those running the tournament.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Before the egregious Super League idea, the big English clubs had another suggestion that involved cancelling the EFL cup and reducing the PL to 18 teams. So that saves a minimum of 5 games a season and potentially 7 or 8.

That shows their thinking. More big money spinning European games and fewer pesky matches against mid sized English clubs. See also why the Champions League is now much easier to qualify for, though I think the idea of 2 coefficient spots for big clubs who failed to qualify properly didn't get through.

[From Despair To Where?]

I guess the big irony is that Palace should have been playing in the Europa League.

[Winston Biscuit]

This is only the 4th European Cup/Champions League final between clubs from 2 different capital cities, and its the first since 1971

[From Despair To Where?]

This is only the 4th European Cup/Champions League final between clubs from 2 different capital cities, and its the first since 1971

Possibly a massive generalisation but could that be because Capital cities tend to be political and cultural centres rather than the industrial, working class heartlands that generally spawned the game?

[BRO_BOT]

This is only the 4th European Cup/Champions League final between clubs from 2 different capital cities, and its the first since 1971

Possibly a massive generalisation but could that be because Capital cities tend to be political and cultural centres rather than the industrial, working class heartlands that generally spawned the game?

In the last 30* years, the final has been dominated by England, Spain, and Germany. Italy and France have made a few finals. The team that shows up the most is Real Madrid, ten times. Madrid clubs represented twelve times, London clubs five, Paris three (including the upcoming one), and the Netherlands once

So out of 60 teams, a capital city has been represented 21 times

Manchester Utd/City has dominated England (21 of 34 prems), Real/Barcelona dominate Spain, Munich dominates Germany. Berlin is considered much more working-class than Munich.




* (just cause I can hold the numbers in my head),

[From Despair To Where?]

This is only the 4th European Cup/Champions League final between clubs from 2 different capital cities, and its the first since 1971

Possibly a massive generalisation but could that be because Capital cities tend to be political and cultural centres rather than the industrial, working class heartlands that generally spawned the game?

In the last 30* years, the final has been dominated by England, Spain, and Germany. Italy and France have made a few finals. The team that shows up the most is Real Madrid, ten times. Madrid clubs represented twelve times, London clubs five, Paris three (including the upcoming one), and the Netherlands once

So out of 60 teams, a capital city has been represented 21 times

Manchester Utd/City has dominated England (21 of 34 prems), Real/Barcelona dominate Spain, Munich dominates Germany. Berlin is considered much more working-class than Munich.




* (just cause I can hold the numbers in my head),

Madrid have an advantage in Spain that was baked in by the political elites in the mid 20th century. Real won 2 titles before 1950. Spanish football was dominated by Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla/Betis and Bilbao before that.

London's representation is dominated by Chelsea who were bankrolled by foreign money.

Berlin was an enclave behind the Iron curtain until 35 years ago, that will have a massive cultural impact on the national status of the clubs in the city. The traditional powerhouses in German football were in the industrialised North West. Bayern Munich weren't even entered in the Bundesliga when it was formed. Even in East Germany, Dynamo didn't dominate without political interference.

PSG was a club founded in the 70s by rich blokes because all the Parisian football teams were shit and they thought that being the capital, Paris warranted a decent football team.

[Clyde1998]

What I find a bit sad about the Conference League is that it was designed to provide greater opportunities for teams from smaller nations yet 8 of the 10 finalists have still been from England, Italy and Spain.

When I first saw the competition being announced, I thought this could be a great opportunity for some of the smaller nations to have some European silverware.

I still feel it was a huge mistake by allowing teams from the top four/five nations enter a team. Especially when most can reach the semis by playing their reserves!

[WestYorksRoyal]

Arsenal's objective is to make this game as boring as possible. If it's an open game, PSG romp it.

Lewis-Skelly has usurped Zubimendi as Arsenal's DM of choice which is no mean feat. But he can't get in England's 26 man squad.

[leon]

Jack Wilshire and Martin Keown on TNT is like the planet of the apes.

[Double C]

This is basically stoke city winning the cl

[6ft Kerplunk]

Lewis-Skelly has usurped Zubimendi as Arsenal's DM of choice which is no mean feat. But he can't get in England's 26 man squad.

There's better midfielders than Lewis-Skelly not in the squad.

[Sutekh]

Dreadful game. If only PSG had some shooting boots on.

This is going to go to penalties isn’t it?

[WestYorksRoyal]

Lewis-Skelly has usurped Zubimendi as Arsenal's DM of choice which is no mean feat. But he can't get in England's 26 man squad.

There's better midfielders than Lewis-Skelly not in the squad.

But they're mostly attacking midfielders, not defensive. Though I'd probably have Wharton at least level with him.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I mean, that's a penalty for Arsenal there, isn't it?