New Uefa president Michel Platini conveniently gives the impression that Italy, Spain and England automatically have 4 places in the Champions League, and that this is grossly unfair on the poor Eastern block countries, or the small European ones. What better than to make it more democratic and give ‘FC Serbia’ or ‘FC Poland’ a place in the league?
Unfortunately, Platini has his facts wrong and is painting a false picture.
The further a team comes in the competition, the more places its’ country gets. England won those places fairly. If the standard of football goes down in England, then the teams will perform worse in the Champions League and we will automatically lose places. Alternatively, if FC Montenegro play better in the competition, they will enter at a higher round and they will eventually get a second CL place. This particular method is called “football”. If you are good you get promoted, if you aren’t as good you get relegated.
Or let’s put it another way: Have you ever heard of a team getting relegated, but staying up because they come from the Newcastle area? Or from Devon way?
Mr Mad from Madchester: “There are far too many London teams in the premiership, we should guard the places of a second team from Newcastle teams and promote Exeter and they cant ever get relegated.” What UTTER crap!!
This is what Platini is wanting to do to the Champions League. He is securing places for teams that dont deserve those places. He give the arguement of nations, but he ignores teams that are better and have fairly earned the right to play. Would Fulham, Charlton or West ham be ready to make way in the Premiership for Exeter (representing Devon), Penzance FC (representing) Cornwall, and Margate FC (representing Kent)? Not on your life!!
Is it fair to ask Valencia (two time finalists and UEFA cup winners recently), Arsenal (finalists) and Juventus (past winners) to play in the UEFA cup, whilst the Polish, Czech and Serbian champions replace them? Three champions that enter the competition ANYWAY, it is just that they get kicked out before the first round proper because they just arent good enough! No! It isnt right.
Platini is changing the Champions League to a selectors league. His selections qualify. And noone else: Mr Napoleon, take a bow!
“When we won the cup four times as English Champions you knew that you were the best in Europe.”
There is of course, the argument that the CL is only worth anything when it has only champions in it. Well, if they were that good, they wouldnt mind a bit of competition! But you could argue that when you limit the CL to just champions, you have far less teams, and the half of them from eastern Europe. Some argued that the UEFA was stronger in the 70’s, because it was full of all the 2nd to 4th place teams who were better than 50% of the champions, but in this period Liverpool won TWO UEFA cups and TWO European cups! So we were the best whatever way you look at it!
Finally, Valencia, Arsenal and Porto are an example of teams who used the existing system to move up the Champions League ladder and gain success and recognition. Other smaller clubs can do that too, but, it wont help them when you force them into the competition too hard for them, and they become target practise for the good teams….
And I thought the 11-0 record victory against Stromgodset was never in danger. Maybe not if Platini get’s his way…
Geebo
