Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League 24/25

[Dirk Gently]

Would whoever wins be some kind of 'record' for the lowest domestically ranked CL qualifier?

I vaguely recall that perhaps a team once qualified for Europe in the same season it got relegated - but can't think of a CL example.

Ipswich got relegated from the PL in the early 00's but also got into the UEFA Cup so played in it when they were in the 2nd tier.

I am genuinely impressed with myself for remembering that

Newport County from Tier 3 in England got to the quarter-finals of the Cup-Winners Cup in 1981 by virtue of winning the Welsh FA Cup the previous year.

[Sutekh]

Would whoever wins be some kind of 'record' for the lowest domestically ranked CL qualifier?

I vaguely recall that perhaps a team once qualified for Europe in the same season it got relegated - but can't think of a CL example.

Ipswich got relegated from the PL in the early 00's but also got into the UEFA Cup so played in it when they were in the 2nd tier.

I am genuinely impressed with myself for remembering that

Newport County from Tier 3 in England got to the quarter-finals of the Cup-Winners Cup in 1981 by virtue of winning the Welsh FA Cup the previous year.

Haven’t UEFA ceased to recognise the Welsh Cup now? Or do the winners still get to compete in the Conference/Europa qualifying things?

[Dirk Gently]

Ipswich got relegated from the PL in the early 00's but also got into the UEFA Cup so played in it when they were in the 2nd tier.

I am genuinely impressed with myself for remembering that

Newport County from Tier 3 in England got to the quarter-finals of the Cup-Winners Cup in 1981 by virtue of winning the Welsh FA Cup the previous year.

Haven’t UEFA ceased to recognise the Welsh Cup now? Or do the winners still get to compete in the Conference/Europa qualifying things?

I think they still do, with UEFA Cup entry to the winners, but I also think that once the League of Wales was setup they closed the loophole on who could enter the FA Cup, so if a team is in the English Leagues they're limited to the English FA Cup and vice versa.

That's all from memory so may be wrong

But it looks like only four months ago the Welsh teams tried to instigate something new : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... yep3k34pxo

[Sutekh]

Newport County from Tier 3 in England got to the quarter-finals of the Cup-Winners Cup in 1981 by virtue of winning the Welsh FA Cup the previous year.

Haven’t UEFA ceased to recognise the Welsh Cup now? Or do the winners still get to compete in the Conference/Europa qualifying things?

I think they still do, with UEFA Cup entry to the winners, but I also think that once the League of Wales was setup they closed the loophole on who could enter the FA Cup, so if a team is in the English Leagues they're limited to the English FA Cup and vice versa.

That's all from memory so may be wrong

But it looks like only four months ago the Welsh teams tried to instigate something new : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... yep3k34pxo

The top Welsh clubs (Cardiff, Newport, Merthyr, Hollywood and Swansea) are an anomaly. They play in the English league and FA competitions and so correctly get treated as English clubs by UEFA yet I believe they still fall under the jurisdiction of the FAW. If they play in the English systems then they should be affiliated to the FA otherwise you could have clubs in the same league structure playing to different rules.

[Dirk Gently]

Yep, historical accident, like Berwick playing on the Scottish leagues.

Always reminds me of when Criag Bellamy was an absolute pcunt in a game for Cardiff against us and him and one of our players both faced FA charges for fighting (forget who it was).

Our player was punished by the English FA disciplinary panel and Bellamy was either cleared or only had his knuckles rapped by the Welsh FA disciplinary panel, even though they'd both done exactly the same.

[stealthpapes]

The Welsh Cup stuff all got tidied up in the mid-1990s. Last 'big club' winner was 1995, I guess of note was United playing Wrexham on the way to Cup Winners Cup success in 1990-91. Looking through the list of winners/finals, you have things like Stourbridge Town making the final in the 1970s.

Millwall played in the UEFA cup in 2004-05 after losing FA cup final the previous season.

I think Wigan and Birmingham have had second tier European campaigns. The odd one would be Portsmouth who lost the FA Cup final in 2010 and weren't allowed into Europe the next season, due to financial issues.

[Ark Royal]

Cardiff made it to the Cup Winners' Cup QFs in 1971. They lost to Real Madrid on aggregate, but managed to win the first leg 1-0.

[From Despair To Where?]

Would whoever wins be some kind of 'record' for the lowest domestically ranked CL qualifier?

I vaguely recall that perhaps a team once qualified for Europe in the same season it got relegated - but can't think of a CL example.

Wigan won the cup the same year they got relegated.

[From Despair To Where?]

Don’t UEFA now ban sides that aren’t in their top domestic league from their competitions? If true, hardly seems in the true sense of sporting endeavour.

No they don't.

[katweslowski]

Disgraceful scenes in Bilbao, with fans fighting in the street and clashing

I'm really surprised there have been clashes and violence. I never expected it.

</sarcasm> I just know the media have been gagging for this. Plotted up on each corner waiting for them to kick off. It's the most predictable outcome in history

[6ft Kerplunk]

UEFA should do the decent thing and ban both clubs from European competitions next season.

[Sutekh]

UEFA should do the decent thing and ban both clubs from European competitions next season.

I agree if Hiram agrees.

[Winston Biscuit]

can't work out what I want to happen most tonight. I don't really care all that much about it tbh, but thinking about how i feel about the possible outcomes for the 2 teams:

Man Utd win - Just man utd winning another trophy and getting back into a competition they've been in loads. bit of a boring outcome.
Man Utd lose - would raise a chuckle. But I have lol'd at them loads in recent years and the novelty has worn off.
Spurs win - their fans will obviously be absolutely unbearable about it, but it is nice to see a team get into the CL that don't usually make it
Spurs lose - Having the worst league campaign in around half a century just to lose a European final against Man Utd, who are having their worst league campaign in around half a century. genuine LOL

[genome]

It's the stoppable force vs the movable object

[BRO_BOT]

It's the stoppable force vs the movable object

it'll just be relief if we win

[genome]

It's the stoppable force vs the movable object

it'll just be relief if we win

Samesies tbh. I'm not expecting anything though. It's Spurs in a final

[Stranded]

can't work out what I want to happen most tonight. I don't really care all that much about it tbh, but thinking about how i feel about the possible outcomes for the 2 teams:

Man Utd win - Just man utd winning another trophy and getting back into a competition they've been in loads. bit of a boring outcome.
Man Utd lose - would raise a chuckle. But I have lol'd at them loads in recent years and the novelty has worn off.
Spurs win - their fans will obviously be absolutely unbearable about it, but it is nice to see a team get into the CL that don't usually make it
Spurs lose - Having the worst league campaign in around half a century just to lose a European final against Man Utd, who are having their worst league campaign in around half a century. genuine LOL

With the amount of debt Utd are carrying and their declining importance to players in world football, them losing tonight could see them cast into the PL wilderness for quite some time and end up being seen as at the same level as a Brentford, Palace, Brighton but with a bigger stadium.

Same for Spurs really but it would be objectively funnier if it happens to Utd.

Could be argued that United spent 20 odd years overachieving due to the brilliance of one man and are now returning to a more natural level. 13 of their 20 titles coming under SAF and now falling back to being a club who can and will win cups but whose league record can veer from title challenge to relegation battle over relatively short periods of time.

[katweslowski]

can't work out what I want to happen most tonight. I don't really care all that much about it tbh, but thinking about how i feel about the possible outcomes for the 2 teams:

Man Utd win - Just man utd winning another trophy and getting back into a competition they've been in loads. bit of a boring outcome.
Man Utd lose - would raise a chuckle. But I have lol'd at them loads in recent years and the novelty has worn off.
Spurs win - their fans will obviously be absolutely unbearable about it, but it is nice to see a team get into the CL that don't usually make it
Spurs lose - Having the worst league campaign in around half a century just to lose a European final against Man Utd, who are having their worst league campaign in around half a century. genuine LOL

With the amount of debt Utd are carrying and their declining importance to players in world football, them losing tonight could see them cast into the PL wilderness for quite some time and end up being seen as at the same level as a Brentford, Palace, Brighton but with a bigger stadium.

Same for Spurs really but it would be objectively funnier if it happens to Utd.

Could be argued that United spent 20 odd years overachieving due to the brilliance of one man and are now returning to a more natural level. 13 of their 20 titles coming under SAF and now falling back to being a club who can and will win cups but whose league record can veer from title challenge to relegation battle over relatively short periods of time.

All good points and I agree, can't decide on what outcome I want. Both teams to lose and the whole thing to be null and void is the only option that would please me entirely. You're right about SAF's success. It's funny when a highly successful club, who dominated much of European football for a long time or at least competed, falls away to such medicore/disappointing levels. It's not just a one off either and I can't see it changing anytime soon.

For me, I find the whole "spursy" thing quite entertaining and I don't find Ange Postecoglu really bitter/hostile everytime I hear him.

I just can't decide.

Will be watching with several alcoholic beverages tonight and maybe some wine too. Maybe after downing all of that I'll be clearer on what I want to happen

[Sanguine]

European spots for English clubs next season...

Champions League (6)
Liverpool, Arsenal
plus three of City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Villa, Forest
plus one of United, Spurs

Europa League (2 or 3)*
Crystal Palace
plus one of City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Villa, Forest

Conference League (0 or 1 or 2)*
Newcastle, maybe
plus potentially Brighton or Brentford

*Complicated bit....courtesy of the Guardian.
If Chelsea win the Conference League, they qualify for the Europa League. If they secure a Champions League spot however courtesy of a top-five finish, they enter that competition and no other team gets their spot. If they win the Conference League and finish seventh, the team finishing sixth takes the Europa League spot and we get an extra Conference League place. If they win the Conference League and finish sixth, the outcome depends on who finishes seventh. If it's Newcastle, we get an extra Conference League space. If Newcastle qualify directly for the Champions League, we don't get a Conference League spot at all. But in essence, Brentford and Brighton could yet find themselves in Europe if results go a certain way.

[Winston Biscuit]

Looking forward to the time when we get 17 clubs in Europe as standard, and the relegated 3 can have a play off between them to see who gets the bonus relegation European spot.