Orange and Blue 1,173 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 What do Champions League & Europa League changes mean for Scottish sides? Uefa has issued updated guidance for qualifying for next season's Champions League and Europa League. 'Scottish clubs could be Europa regulars' Champions League With 26 teams (up from 22) going directly into the Champions League group stage, the Scottish Premiership winners will compete for one of four places available to qualifiers that are league winners. The Scottish champions will need to win four two-legged ties to reach the group stage - three qualifying rounds and a play-off round. Every team eliminated in the Champions League qualifying and play-off rounds will now get a second chance in the Europa League. This season and last term, celtic entered at the second qualifying round stage and progressed to the group stage via the third qualifying and play-off rounds. However, only losers at the third qualifying and play-off rounds were parachuted into the Europa League. Europa League Three Scottish sides will be among those competing for 13 qualifying places available to non-champions in the Europa League group stage. The sides finishing second and third in the Premiership enter at the first qualifying round stage and the Scottish Cup winners come in at the second qualifying round stage. Rangers and Aberdeen have contested second place for most of this season but Hibs are not far behind them From next season, 17 sides across Europe gain direct entry to the Europa League group stage and are joined by the 10 losers from the Champions League play-off round. A further 21 places are available to qualifiers, including eight league winners that have not reached the Champions League play-off round. This term, Aberdeen - who took the Scottish Cup winners' place after finishing as runners-up to celtic - won their second qualifying round but lost their next tie and missed out on the play-off round. Rangers and St Johnstone both lost their first qualifying round ties. If the cup winners and runners-up have already qualified for Europe, then next best placed team in the Premiership will progress. Preliminary rounds There will be preliminary rounds in both the Champions League and Europa League prior to their respective first qualifying rounds. Scottish sides will not be involved. The Champions League preliminary round will involve four teams in a "knockout mini-tournament" with only the winner progressing and the three losing sides dropping into the Europa League second qualifying round (champions route). The Europa League preliminary round will feature 16 teams and the eight winners of the two-legged ties progress. No more champions league for scottish clubs by the looks if things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverAndEver 73,876 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 It's really becoming a lot of shite. I'd much prefer to see it become the European Cup again, despite never seeing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentyFour 690 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 The top 4 clubs in the top 4 leagues getting automatic qualification is making this competition even more ridiculous than before, they're not even throwing scraps anymore. Hopefully with the changes being made there will be more money in the Europa, probably not though. The smaller leagues really need to group together here and try do something as all the current setup is doing is separating the top from the bottom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange and Blue 1,173 Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 Think the tarriers will suffer without CL Money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hilts 12,819 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 The CL is boring as fuck as it is. Hardly watch it nowadays. Give it another 5 or so years and they'll likely do away with qualifiers altogether. A competition ran by the rich for the rich. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluenose244 2,660 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 The champions league should be for champions, the europa for runners up and everyone else can get to fuck. In my opinion... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ger4life_1872 30,499 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 It's gonna end up with European leagues Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rum Ham 2,076 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Teams like Arsenal, Tottenham etc. Who haven't been 'Champions' of their league for more than a decade is a contradiction to the whole purpose of the 'Champions' league Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gers 198 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Just now, GT66 said: Teams like Arsenal, Tottenham etc. Who haven't been 'Champions' of their league for more than a decade is a contradiction to the whole purpose of the 'Champions' league Hate to say it because it involves us but agreed. Who wants to watch a "Champions" League tournament full of teams that were 3rd and 4th placed losers in their league? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeds_Bear 8,292 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 4 minutes ago, Captain Hilts said: The CL is boring as fuck as it is. Hardly watch it nowadays. Give it another 5 or so years and they'll likely do away with qualifiers altogether. A competition ran by the rich for the rich. Could not agree more; I always enjoyed watching it even when we didn't qualify but in recent years it's become so sanitised and un-enjoyable. It should also really be re-fucking-named seen as only four 'champions' are guaranteed entry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geronimoo 1,568 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Bring back the old style of European Cup, Eufa Cup, and Cup Winners Cup. The CL is becoming boring and is more or less the same teams year after year. The current set-up just lets the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. It's sad that the way it is we may never see smaller teams rise up to the top again, it's not only is who are getting choked by it, I remember teams like the Belgrade and Bucharest teams for example who had top European teams which are now left to feed of the scraps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluenose244 2,660 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, GT66 said: Teams like Arsenal, Tottenham etc. Who haven't been 'Champions' of their league for more than a decade is a contradiction to the whole purpose of the 'Champions' league I imagine most football fans would agree and if fans were asked to vote it would be an overwhelming majority in favor of a champions only tournament. However UEFA is not about fans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geronimoo 1,568 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 12 minutes ago, Captain Hilts said: The CL is boring as fuck as it is. Hardly watch it nowadays. Give it another 5 or so years and they'll likely do away with qualifiers altogether. A competition ran by the rich for the rich. I can see the top countries being in it and it converting to a European super league with them only. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeds_Bear 8,292 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 2 minutes ago, bluenose244 said: I imagine most football fans would agree and if fans were asked to vote it would be an overwhelming majority in favor of a champions only tournament. However UEFA is not about fans. And if the other clubs were to protest they just be hit with sanctions - have us all over a fucking barrel. It's corrupted to the core. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluenose244 2,660 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 2 minutes ago, geronimoo said: I can see the top countries being in it and it converting to a European super league with them only. It already is all but in name. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geronimoo 1,568 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Just now, bluenose244 said: It already is all but in name. True, it's like countries like ours only get an invite because it would be bad PR to tell us to fuck off directly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterD 7,457 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I don't watch much of it anyway but a league winners only tournament would be dreadful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairheid_bear 166 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Since the 1980s the system for European competitions has been drifting towards maximising revenue and keeping the bigger clubs in the contest right through to the final stages. It's nearly perfect for that now. And boring as fuck. Automatic qualification for 'big teams from rich leagues' Any number of qualifying rounds to keep small teams out and A mini-league system in both competitions to minimise the risk of a shock one-off result that knocks out a 'big team'. They'd be better off just getting every team in Europe to submit their business accounts and then let the four with the biggest turnovers play semis and final. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McEwan's Lager 32,052 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 We are a wee bit to blame for the way it’s gone. Rangers through Campbell Ogilvie were one of the architects of the competition and anticipated it going this way. We just thought it would have happened with us included in about 1995/96 rather than us excluded 20 plus years later. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shuggy 1,308 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Time to (yet again) discuss the Atlantic League... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhW 4,693 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boaby Bear 411 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Only take an interest in these tournies at the layer knockout stages. Group stage games are bullshit Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairheid_bear 166 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 4 minutes ago, OhW said: 13 minutes ago, sairheid_bear said: They'd be better off just getting every team in Europe to submit their business accounts and then let the four with the biggest turnovers play semis and final. Man Utd would love that. That's what the tournament set-up is designed to deliver: teams with huge financial clout and a big international fanbase dominating the competition. Last thing Uefa wants is a CL final between Steaua Bucharest and Anderlecht. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddiqi_drinker 14,635 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 UEFA just like FIFA is rotten to the core. We had all this talk about 'financial fair play, yet we have teams like PSG, Real Madrid and Barcelona with a combined approx. 800 Million in debt are still allowed to spend totally asinine amounts of money on transfer fees. I'd actually like to see massive bankruptcies right across the 'European elite'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhW 4,693 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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