Changes in the Champions League?

[Wiggen]

I think your right. The expanded Champions League was done in part to forestall the big teams breaking away and forming a super league of their own. The superleague remains a real possibility, in which case the Champions League would have champions, but they wouldn't be from any of the big football countries.

[zanysteve]

I think an overhaul of the Champions League (aka the Greed League) is needed .

Teams that finish fourth in any top league should not be rewarded with a Champions League birth. UEFA should automaticly seed the top 16 LEAGUE winners into the Group stages . The second 20 LEAGUE winners would join the top 12 second placers , the third 18 LEAGUE winners , and the top 12 third placers would playoff for the rest of the 16 spots left in the Champions League groups.

Of course this will never happen as the big clubs are in control and will not like giving up the money .

[bedir than average]

How many teams is that, I'm having trouble thinking through that, which shouldn't be a surprise to many on this site?

You have how many groups of how many teams, and is that a change?

[zanysteve]

The Champions League Group phase has 8 "divisions" of four team each (32 total). I believe there is two/three rounds of qualify playoffs before then.

{Two Leg playoff winner advances..Two Leg Playoff, winner to Group Stage..Group stage is mini-league..top two in group advance to the playoffs}

My system would seat the top 16 League winners in the Group Stage,The rest of teams would need to be whittle down for the other 16 spots

[Wiggen]

Sorry, I don't see much distinction between fourth and third. In many cases, it's a point or two between teams. I also think it makes no sense to treat all leagues as being roughly equal, when in fact they are not. I'd probably change the name of the Champions League - since if it takes even second place teams it is not a champions league - to something else, but I think it is appropriate that the tougher leagues get more teams. They earn that right.

[Baggio2B]

I think that Plaitini has the right idea in trying to get a broader number of leagues and teams represented in the Champions League. Although, I do agree that at this moment the third and fourth place teams from the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga are probably better than some first place teams in other leagues.

To be honest, I like the current format.

[zanysteve]

The current system rewards big teams who finish in the top four anyway.Why reward teams that finish 8-20 points behind the league champions with automatic group seeding?It is clearly unfair to "smaller" country champions , who actually win their league

Plus how can you judge how "smaller" countrys champions would do if they dont get the same chance as the "bigger" countrys champions?

[Cali Ed]

Originally Posted by zanysteve

... Plus how can you judge how "smaller" countrys champions would do if they dont get the same chance as the "bigger" countrys champions?

The reason England, Italy and Spain have four teams in it in the first place is because, over the course of the years of the Champions' League and its predecessor the European Cup, those countries' teams have consistently performed better than the "champions" of the "lesser" leagues.
It's wrong to say the "lesser lights" don't get a chance: each league is judged every year on the basis of their performance in the previous years' competition. There are three qualifying rounds before the group stages: if the "lesser" teams were good enough, they'd make it (sometimes they do).
I don't want to see this competition diluted because of some misguided leader's efforts to "make things fairer".

[zanysteve]

Originally Posted by Cali Ed

I don't want to see this competition diluted because of some misguided leader's efforts to "make things fairer".

It's called the CHAMPIONS League , not the 1st-3rd Place teams from rich countrys and whom ever else League !

UEFA needs to seed the top 16 CHAMPIONS first not pander to the rich clubs .

[Cali Ed]

Here are Platini's ideas. Still think he's a mindless egomaniac more interested in his image than in making European football better. Why not start with some harsher penalties against Spain, Italy, et. al. for the violence the football federations there seem unwilling or unable to address?

LONDON: UEFA President Michel Platini has confirmed he is seeking to curb the dominance of England, Spain and Italy in the Champions League and boost the chances of clubs from smaller leagues.
Platini said Wednesday that UEFA is looking at plans to have a qualifying round where the third- and fourth-place teams Europe's elite leagues would play each other instead of clubs from smaller nations, increasing the chances for more countries to have representatives into the first round.
"What we need to have is more balance," Platini told reporters.

Platini wants curbs on domination of big nations in Champions League - International Herald Tribune

[bravesmasta]

Originally Posted by zanysteve

It's called the CHAMPIONS League , not the 1st-3rd Place teams from rich countrys and whom ever else League !

UEFA needs to seed the top 16 CHAMPIONS first not pander to the rich clubs .

Again,don't take the name too seriously..The World Series is'nt actually the World Series,is it?
Having the top 16 champions would ruin the tourney IMO..

[Cali Ed]

Originally Posted by zanysteve

It's called the CHAMPIONS League , not the 1st-3rd Place teams from rich countrys and whom ever else League !

UEFA needs to seed the top 16 CHAMPIONS first not pander to the rich clubs .

Yeah, that's right. Everyone in Europe would lay out big bucks to see the first place teams from Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic rather than Chelsea, Barcelona or Roma.