New champions League format - Good or Bad for us?

For us it is only about the money for getting there so will make little difference. The tournament itself is a monopoly and boring as %^*&.
 

UEFA confirm expansion of UCL from 2024​

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UEFA confirmed this week that their much-criticised Champions League expansion will be going ahead in 2024, but some concessions have been made following supporter lobbying.

The executive committee of the European football authority have approved changes that will expand the Champions League to 36 teams and re-organise the group stages into a single league.

From 2024 all competing teams will play against eight different opponents (four home games, four away) rather than the previous six matches against three teams, played on a home-and-away basis. As well as dropping the proposed number of games to eight from the initially proposed 10, UEFA has dropped its controversial plans to allow two clubs to compete based on historical performance.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have been at the forefront of lobbying against the expansion of the Champions League since the surfaced just over 12 months ago.

Supporters have consistently argued against expanding European competition to protect domestic leagues and any measures that would undermine sporting merit.

FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain said: "For the first time, the position of fans has directly influenced the outcome of a major reform of European club competitions. Although it is not the one we wanted, we avoided the worst-case scenario and effectively challenged other stakeholders.

"We would like to thank each and every fans’ group that took the time to lobby their respective clubs and governing bodies to do better and helped to make a difference."
 
GovanFront4 said:
Exactly what I mean mate. We would be getting scudded in 90% of CL matches and that's the reality. It would get very tiring after a while.
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Cannae wait. Playing in a competition that we'll never win.

Make the best of this week everyone, looks like it will be our last chance of winning a trophy.
 
GovanFront4 said:
We have zero chance of winning the Champions League. Are you suggesting we do?
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No, that's what I meant by playing a tournament we'll never win. Give me the excitement of this seasons el any day, rather than making up the numbers for the teams who threatened to go their own way.
 
Next season is going to be a f##king expensive one with potential champs league games, super cup and the club world championship and that's all before you factor in domestic games. Anyone want to buy a kidney it's well worn and may be slightly contaminated by years of malt whisky.
 
Toomanypies said:
I think for that to happen (under the current and new system) Scotland would need to be 6th (currently Portugal) in the country coefficients.

Country coefficients

The other clubs would need to really pull their socks up to get us anywhere near 6th.

I can't see that happening anytime soon.
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its now 8 games instead of 10 now

hopefully another push is planned to get it scrapped altogether
 
Looks like theres no dropping down from CL to EL after the groups now?

Would give Scotlands 2nd placed team a better chance of getting further in the EL.

Scotlands Champions also have a slightly easier route to qualify, if they don't manage to get in automatically.
 
RfcIbrox said:
It's not a bad idea but why it's limited to 2 teams and you still have 20 automatically qualifying from the big 5 is stupid.
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It is so that Manchester Utd can be included when they finish in 6th in the EPL!!!
UEFA do not want a UCL without the likes of Man U.
 
If it allows us to make TV money and prize money that even matches the EFL championship, then I am all for it.
 
stoogie said:
every single thing done by UEFA is done with that sole purpose in mind
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Lots of people say this but I don't agree. UEFA has to keep the big 5 happy as that's what generates the money and they don't always get the balance right but they do try to look out for all the National Associations, two examples - the Champions qualification path and the Conference League.
 
Govan_Guy said:
Yes we do - that's why the League needs to be cut back, make the split after 22 games so a total of 32.
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I hope this is seriously considered. More European football for Scottish clubs would benefit everyone. Clubs like hibs hearts celtic etc could compete in the conference.
 
Unfortunately any changes that UEFA make will be financially better for bigger clubs. Like having 5 qualifying from Germany,England,Spain etc
They dont want the champions of Latvia, Cyprus,Finland or the lower nations making any progress in European competitions.
Makes a mockery of it being called the Championships league IMO
 
Monteith said:
Looks like theres no dropping down from CL to EL after the groups now?

Would give Scotlands 2nd placed team a better chance of getting further in the EL.

Scotlands Champions also have a slightly easier route to qualify, if they don't manage to get in automatically.
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Think that's right, once in champions/europa League you will not drop down to Europa/conference.

Presumably the route to Europa will still exist for those losing champions League qualifiers?
 
Bulletproof said:
Next season is going to be a f##king expensive one with potential champs league games, super cup and the club world championship and that's all before you factor in domestic games. Anyone want to buy a kidney it's well worn and may be slightly contaminated by years of malt whisky.
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The Super Cup and Club World Championship fixtures are needless IMO although would be good to boast about being the best team in the world right enough !!!
 
Monteith said:
Looks like theres no dropping down from CL to EL after the groups now?

Would give Scotlands 2nd placed team a better chance of getting further in the EL.

Scotlands Champions also have a slightly easier route to qualify, if they don't manage to get in automatically.
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Can't drop into the el? F**k that, we have absolutely no chance of winning the cl and will just be there to make up the numbers.

Make the best of this week everyone, it will probably be our last chance if that's the way it's going.
 
Bigbluebear said:
Where?
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UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says clubs in Scotland don't ever need to worry about a breakaway from the Champions League and joining a European Super League.

From 2024 onwards. the number of teams competing in the competition will increase from 32 to 36.

It means there will be 189 matches instead of 125 as the group stage is replaced by 'the Swiss model’ and therefore generating more money for clubs involved in the competition.

"I am sure I will not support any more changes of competitions. We should play Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League like we will from 2024. I don't think it was even necessary to change it but it will be better, an evolution rather than revolution."
 
Bluebeard said:
Anything that takes us away from turgid domestic garbage and closer to European football is great with me.

We have outgrown the tinpot, hateful cesspit we currently play in.
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This attitude to our tinpot league will change quite quickly if we are continually battered in the CL like we were this season.
 
Bluebeard said:
Totally agree with this. The old argument “ ah but we need four old firm games “ will be dead in the water as it’s dwarfed by what we will make in Europe. We will eventually move towards a 16 or 18 team top flight play each other twice giving 30 or 34 league fixtures and the league cup will be canned or B teams play in it.

And to be honest, not before time. The Scottish set up will eventually be dragged albeit kicking and screaming into the modern era.
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When you say the modern era do you mean sports-washing investments from mega rich nation states and international tycoons? Owners openly trying to pry the teams away from their own fans, the "legacy fans" as they call them, and trying to attract international fans instead? Imagine someone like the Chelsea owner bought us, doubled ticket prices and started talking about moving our games to be played in the US instead of Ibrox. That's how I see the modern era of football.

We can moan about Scottish football all we want but the reality is that English football is strangling our football. In the 80s Rangers were the richest team in the UK, Dundee United reached the semi final of the European Cup in 83 and the UEFA Cup final in 87, Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup and the Super Cup. Then Sky TV rebrand the English Premier League pumping untold billions into it while leaving us to rot. Did Scottish football just die a random death or were there outside forces causing it to die a death?

I don't know the way out I just know how we got here.
 
GandyOram said:
When you say the modern era do you mean sports-washing investments from mega rich nation states and international tycoons? Owners openly trying to pry the teams away from their own fans, the "legacy fans" as they call them, and trying to attract international fans instead? Imagine someone like the Chelsea owner bought us, doubled ticket prices and started talking about moving our games to be played in the US instead of Ibrox. That's how I see the modern era of football.

We can moan about Scottish football all we want but the reality is that English football is strangling our football. In the 80s Rangers were the richest team in the UK, Dundee United reached the semi final of the European Cup in 83 and the UEFA Cup final in 87, Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup and the Super Cup. Then Sky TV rebrand the English Premier League pumping untold billions into it while leaving us to rot. Did Scottish football just die a random death or were there outside forces causing it to die a death?

I don't know the way out I just know how we got here.
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I think the downward spiral began in the 70's with the creation of the "Top Ten" SPL removing any chance of teams outwith the OF of building a challenge as they had often done before. The Aberdeen CWC team of the 80's were pretty much a product of the old 18 team format.

Most fans were against it but were ignored and attendances began to fall.

More recently in 2012, all scotlands supporters Trusts voted overwhelmingly to go back to a similar format. The SPFL rejected it as "not representative of the real supporters".

They organised a poll over their own and the fans voted in favour of it again This time with an increased majority, well over 80% I think it was..

The SPL/SFA again rejected it. Their own poll mind you. "Scotland cant afford it" was the excuse.

Meaning greedy board rooms wanted to keeping sucking on the OF teat at the expense of the long term future of their own and other clubs.
 
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TheHistorian said:
I think the downward spiral began in the 70's with the creation of the "Top Ten" SPL removing any chance of teams outwith the OF of building a challenge as they had often done before. The Aberdeen CWC team of the 80's were pretty much a product of the old 18 team format.

Most fans were against it but were ignored and attendances began to fall.

More recently in 2012, all scotlands supporters Trusts voted overwhelmingly to go back to a similar format. The SPFL rejected it as "not representative of the real supporters".
They organised a poll over their own and the fans voted against it again This time with an increased majority, well over 80% I think it was..

The SPL/SFA again rejected it. Their own poll mind you. "Scotland cant afford it" was the excuse. Meaning greedy board rooms wanted to keeping sucking on the OF teat at the expense of the long term future of their own and other clubs.
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Great post. They ran the polls and when results showed unequivocally the fans said make the league bigger and play each other twice, the SPFL just dismissed the poll. Self interest is killing the game, it’s a survival mode for many, there’s no evolving whatsoever.
 
TheHistorian said:
I think the downward spiral began in the 70's with the creation of the "Top Ten" SPL removing any chance of teams outwith the OF of building a challenge as they had often done before. The Aberdeen CWC team of the 80's were pretty much a product of the old 18 team format.

Most fans were against it but were ignored and attendances began to fall.

More recently in 2012, all scotlands supporters Trusts voted overwhelmingly to go back to a similar format. The SPFL rejected it as "not representative of the real supporters".
They organised a poll over their own and the fans voted against it again This time with an increased majority, well over 80% I think it was..

The SPL/SFA again rejected it. Their own poll mind you. "Scotland cant afford it" was the excuse. Meaning greedy board rooms wanted to keeping sucking on the OF teat at the expense of the long term future of their own and other clubs.
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I disagree mate. The change came with the Souness Revolution and Rangers suddenly splashing the cash on major players from down South - aided by their absence from European competition of course. The Dhims, naturally, tried to follow suit, nearly went bust but then recovered. Aberdeen tried, at a lower level, to follow suit. Hell, even Hearts and Dundee had a go. As we well know, not even the Old Firm could sustain that model and had to rein themselves in - but, suddenly, both of us had near full stadia every other week. That was far from the normal through the 70s and 80s.

Scottish football outwith the Old Firm has never been the same since.
 
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