Yet Again No One Can Retain The Champions League

[Thermopylae 15,287]

If you want to see how long it's been since someone retained the European Cup look at Ancelotti because he played in that team 25 years ago. The competition hasn't really changed because it's still a knock out at the business end so the changes must be in the teams so why is what used to be pretty common place now rarer than hens teeth

[Fiogh 178]

The competition hasn't really changed in 25 years? Milan had to play 8 games to reach the final that year, compare that to the set up now.

It is a bit of an anomaly though, especially with (roughly) the same teams making the knock outs every year. Probably because the best players are spread across 3/4 teams, with each team getting slightly better/worse every year and with such fine margins deciding games?

[Thermopylae 15,287]

Ultimately it's how you do against te other perspective winners that decide who wins ... ok there are always going to be the odd shock along the way but it's the knock out fixture in the new year that decide who will win just as it always has

There is more money at the top of the game now so perhaps everything changes faster? If you look back at the 70s one team won 3 in a row then another did the same and the decade ended with it staying in one country for 6 successive seasons ... hard to imagine any of these things happening again

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Ultimately it's how you do against te other perspective winners that decide who wins ... ok there are always going to be the odd shock along the way but it's the knock out fixture in the new year that decide who will win just as it always has

There is more money at the top of the game now so perhaps everything changes faster? If you look back at the 70s one team won 3 in a row then another did the same and the decade ended with it staying in one country for 6 successive seasons ... hard to imagine any of these things happening again

That's a bingo.

[dummiesoot 16,013]

The format the way it is now, the big teams can afford a couple of off nights meaning the numbers of challengers that can realistically win it stays higher IMO. There are less shocks as we get to the business end of the tournament.

[Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,696]

Ultimately it's how you do against te other perspective winners that decide who wins ... ok there are always going to be the odd shock along the way but it's the knock out fixture in the new year that decide who will win just as it always has

There is more money at the top of the game now so perhaps everything changes faster? If you look back at the 70s one team won 3 in a row then another did the same and the decade ended with it staying in one country for 6 successive seasons ... hard to imagine any of these things happening again

It isn't hard to imagine it staying on one country for that long at all Spanish teams including Atletico are easily capable of dominating the Champions League to that extent.

I think what has happened though is the standard of football around Europe has got a lot higher even without bringing the elite clubs into it.

For example Porto are a second tier club Imo and won the European tournaments back to back not to long ago.