European Campaign - Our Potential Opponents & Significant Dates - QR3 Draw on Monday at 11am

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Good thread. Good job OP

There's a chance that we would be in pot3 next season if we make the groups. Our coefficient for next season would have seen us in Pot 3 thus year. Adds a totally different dimension to the group if we could achieve that.
 
We are currently ranked joint 30th with Brugge.

To get into Pot 3 we would need to be in the top 24 ranked sides in the draw.

I think if things ended now, then the maximum number of the teams that are currently ranked above us that could get into the CL would be 26. Of the teams currently ranked above us there is only around 18 of them currently in CL positions in their league.

Obviously things can change between now and season end, and sides below us are still in Europe this season and can overtake oir current coefficient total, but it does look promising for pot 3 if we can make it into the draw.
 
Great info mate - thanks
Some really tough ties in there but hopefully we’ll be in a stronger place come August.
Just a shame the games against Livi, St Johnstone and St Mirren have left us in this position.
 
Just been looking through this. Swedish Champions must have been a pretty big shock? Although Hacken seem to have won it pretty well:

2022 Allsvenskan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Their first ever title win. Some drop off from Malmo.
 
DeeGer10 said:
Who from the above nations has a better coefficient than us? (correct as of 29th January at 17:30)

Ukraine - Shakhtar (Likely to win the league and won't be in qualifying with us)
Belgium - Club Brugge (12 points off 2nd Place)
Switzerland - No Club
Greece - No Club
France -PSG & Lyon (PSG won't be in with us & Lyon are 17 points off 3rd place)
Portugal - Sporting Lisbon currently on 47.000 and still in the Europa League (Don't think they can catch us), Benfica & Porto
Netherlands - Ajax
Austria - Salzburg (likely to win the league and not be with us)
Serbia - No Club

I think this means the biggest threats to being seeded in both is Portuguese teams and Ajax as they are having a poorer season and 5 points off 2nd.

Currently occupying the qualifying positions -

2nd in Ukraine - Shakhtar
2nd in Belgium - Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
2nd in Switzerland - Lugano
2nd in Greece - AEK
3rd in France - Marseille
3rd in Portugal - Porto
2nd in Netherlands - Az Alkmaar
2nd in Austria - Sturm Graz
2nd in Serbia - Partizan
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Another trip to Leuven? Beautiful
 
Wazza said:
Just been looking through this. Swedish Champions must have been a pretty big shock? Although Hacken seem to have won it pretty well:

2022 Allsvenskan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Their first ever title win. Some drop off from Malmo.
Click to expand...
Yeah it was they had the top scorer in the league but bizarrely went away to Panathinaikos recently and immediately loaned out to another Greek team.

We can’t play a Swedish team because of their co efficient only the champions get into the other section of the draw.

A few changes to update later and good news that Ajax gained points and are now only 3 points behind the leaders Feyenoord.
 
I'm repeating myself from other threads, so apologies for that - it's worth noting that next season is the last season of the current format.

Meaning it's the last season you could make the Champions League group stage then parachute into the Europa League by finishing third.

As far as I can tell, that'll still be possible in qualifying stages in the new format. Haven't read anything that suggests it'll change.

So in the longer term, the idea that we could progress over a few seasons by qualifying for the CL then dropping into the EL isn't possible. We need to learn how to get results at that level quickly.
 
Most certainly the Champions League for me. We have an extreme embarrassment to overcome and avenge from this seasons' CL debacle.

And in the words of one of our songs, 'Cause we're out to show the world what we can do'.
 
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Few changes this week all positive I’d say.

Ajax now sitting 3rd but only 3 points behind leaders Feyenoord, AZ one point ahead of Ajax in 2nd. We really want Ajax to win the league or stay 3rd. (This isn’t good as such but I’d rather have Ajax catching up now with time to win the league)

Lens moved into 3rd in France.

St Gallen moved into 2nd although Servette have a game in hand and could go 2nd with a win.

Braga dropped down to 3rd in Portugal moving Porto up.

Club Brugge moved further behind with a draw so now 14 behind.

Greece is interesting although doesn’t really affect us too much, it looks like AEK will go top with their game in hand with Panathinaikos dropping to 2nd leading PAOK & Olympiakos by 5 points.

The good news is if it ended today we’d be seeded in both rounds.
 
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Excellent OP. I am looking forward to Europe next season and I hope it’s the Champions League. This season was an embarrassment but I am confident under Beale and with a few more signings we will give a better account of ourselves.
 
Really vital we are seeded to avoid the Portuguese or French sides. Don't want to be playing the likes of Benfica, Porto or Marseille.
 
DeeGer10 said:
Few changes this week all positive I’d say.

Ajax now sitting 3rd but only 3 points behind leaders Feyenoord, AZ one point ahead of Ajax in 2nd. We really want Ajax to win the league or stay 3rd. (This isn’t good as such but I’d rather have Ajax catching up now with time to win the league)

Lens moved into 3rd in France.

St Gallen moved into 2nd although Servette have a game in hand and could go 2nd with a win.

Braga dropped down to 3rd in Portugal moving Porto up.

Club Brugge moved further behind with a draw so now 14 behind.

Greece is interesting although doesn’t really affect us too much, it looks like AEK will go top with their game in hand with Panathinaikos dropping to 2nd leading PAOK & Olympiakos by 5 points.

The good news is if it ended today we’d be seeded in both rounds.
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Brugge is a bit inconsequential at the moment. Similar happened last season and they still won it anyway due to their mad playoff system.
 
Im probably in the minority but would much prefer the europa league. UEFA want to make the champions league a closed shop, and our finances will never allow us to compete.

2 europa league finals in the last few years suggest we can compete there, and some of those European nights at Ibrox last season were the best experiences Ive ever had as a football fan

I appreciate though that we do need the money from the champions league
 
Hope we get Lens, decent fans, plenty enough room for a significant amount of Bears to get inside the stadium and they sing a cracking song before most matches.

 
Reading through the thread makes you realise how special the Euro nights were from this time last season.
Having those Thursday nights to look forward to then the draws and the sheer excitement as we progressed- and the ecstasy of That Leipzig game - unforgettable.
Really brings home how these week long gaps between games are difficult to take.
 
Hateley's Barnet said:
It's looking like we're going to finish 2nd. Would anybody prefer to dodge the Champions League after this seasons catastrophe and go into the Europa League group stages next season? Or do we feel more confident for a crack at the Champions League with Beale at the helm?
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I think last season's run has addled too many brains.

Seville, and how it came about was a one off.

Here's our immediate reality.

A - We simply have to/need to qualify for the CL group stages next season to claw back the guaranteed money the little Dutch guy handed them this season before the chop.

B - and this is most important and needs to be thought about realistically. If a newly cobbled together side - and this transfer window has not yielded enough in the positions required - is not good enough to qualify for the CL, it will not be automatically gelling and morphing into a side that is getting to the EL final instead.

Because a lot of punters now have it inprinted in their skulls, this new financial equation that means an EL final = CL group stages money.

It ain't happening.

Feel free to bookmark and quote me.
 
RFC_Champions said:
CL groups all the way. Then if needs be, drop into the EL via 3rd place.

This seasons catastrophe was also down to our own doing.

Yes, absolutely on paper it looked like a tough draw.

But writing this with the benefit of hindsight - Liverpool are having a cünt of a season and sitting mid table in the EPL and Ajax fans aren’t overly chuffed with their performances over the course to date.

If there was ever a season to draw those two - it was this season.
Not Napoli - they are flying!

We could prob still have got better luck in the draw anyway.

Basically, I think we are far more capable than this seasons campaign suggested.
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Their league form has absolutely no bearing on their ability to slap around a fourth seed in the champions league with a fraction of their budget.

3 months before they drew us, Liverpool were finalists and Ajax won their league. Both sides blew us away.
 
McCoist’sTinHat said:
Their league form has absolutely no bearing on their ability to slap around a fourth seed in the champions league with a fraction of their budget.

3 months before they drew us, Liverpool were finalists and Ajax won their league. Both sides blew us away.
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according to stewart robertson europa league and champions league isnt much difference

is thats the case why worry .....
 
albop said:
according to stewart robertson europa league and champions league isnt much difference

is thats the case why worry .....
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* because we don’t measure success on a balance sheet
To test yourself against the best, horrible campaign but let’s not forget a Smith side with superstars got passed around like a scud book vs Ajax and Juve. I’m sure it didn’t stop the drive and change the fabric of the club to think settling for 2nd best is ever acceptable
 
Hateley's Barnet said:
It's looking like we're going to finish 2nd. Would anybody prefer to dodge the Champions League after this seasons catastrophe and go into the Europa League group stages next season? Or do we feel more confident for a crack at the Champions League with Beale at the helm?
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I am happy to try and go deep in the EL. We will get another battering in most games in CL.
 
strider said:
I'm repeating myself from other threads, so apologies for that - it's worth noting that next season is the last season of the current format.

Meaning it's the last season you could make the Champions League group stage then parachute into the Europa League by finishing third.

As far as I can tell, that'll still be possible in qualifying stages in the new format. Haven't read anything that suggests it'll change.

So in the longer term, the idea that we could progress over a few seasons by qualifying for the CL then dropping into the EL isn't possible. We need to learn how to get results at that level quickly.
Click to expand...

An optimistic way of looking at it though is that we'll be playing 8 (I think?) matches in the Champions League, and at least a couple would be against teams seeded similar to ourselves. That should give us more of an opportunity to get results at that level.
 
Hateley's Barnet said:
It's looking like we're going to finish 2nd. Would anybody prefer to dodge the Champions League after this seasons catastrophe and go into the Europa League group stages next season? Or do we feel more confident for a crack at the Champions League with Beale at the helm?
Click to expand...
Sounds crazy but I actually prefer the Europa league to the CL. I just think it's a far better competition, I know the big money is in the CL But I think teams are more evenly matched and I'd love to have that run to the Final again.
 
Bigbluebear said:
Brugge is a bit inconsequential at the moment. Similar happened last season and they still won it anyway due to their mad playoff system.
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That’s true however they’re further behind at the moment but with time to turn it around.

10 games before they split. Top 4 teams points are halved.

As it stands
Genk 31
USG 28
Antwerp 24
Club Brugge 21

Their form isn't great since Scott Parker was appointed P6 W1 D4 L1 they’re at risk of missing out on 4th altogether.
 
The EL has more "proper" football teams with proper fans and more interesting places to visit. Plus it's a Thursday night.

The CL has the money of course but other than that I find it a sordid competition riddled with sordid clubs.
 
Group stages CL then in the Europa knockout. It’s a chance to win a European trophy. I understand the need for money though. However I didn’t become a football fan to watch my team make money.
 
DeeGer10 said:
It depends if we’d had the same coefficient last season we’d have not drawn Napoli and would replace them with one of:

Leverkusen
Zagreb
Marseille
Copenhagen
Club Brugge
Plzen
Maccabi Haifa.

£2.4m for a win and £900k for a draw would’ve looked a lot more achievable.
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And 3rd place
 
DeeGer10 said:
It depends if we’d had the same coefficient last season we’d have not drawn Napoli and would replace them with one of:

Leverkusen
Zagreb
Marseille
Copenhagen
Club Brugge
Plzen
Maccabi Haifa.

£2.4m for a win and £900k for a draw would’ve looked a lot more achievable.
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Next season's expected Pot 4 is looking much stronger as it stands

POT 4
Olympique Marseille (FRA)33.000
Real Sociedad (ESP)32.000
Celtic (SCO)31.000
Galatasaray (TUR)31.000
Newcastle (ENG)20.628
Union Berlin (GER)15.821
RC Lens (FRA)11.899
Dnipro-1 (UKR)6.000
 
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