- Joined
- Feb 15, 2012
- Messages
- 28,798
It used to be trying to explain the rules of cricket was the hardest thing when somebody showed a passing interest(usually after a few pints in the pub), but now it's trying to explain why the team that finished 4th in Serie 'A' the previous season, was playing a team from the Premier League who finished 3rd the previous season are meeting in the Champions League.
It needs a rebrand, I don't know something like the European Cup might work ....
The third team dropping down is a nonsense(but that will have been driven by the cubs), but if they do the best 3rd place teams continues in the Champions League it would not only give the teams a 2nd chance it would make the groups more interesting as every match would have something hanging on it ....
The recent AFCoN was insane because of the best 3rd place teams having a chance to progress, the eventual winners the Ivory Coast finished 3rd in their group and even managed to get beat 4-0 along the way, but nobody can say they didn't deserve to win it, well maybe a few million Nigerians ....
And on seeding, I think they should do away with it all together, or just seed clubs who were Champions in their respective Leagues the season before to keep them apart in the early phases.
As I've said Spurs and Villa will be fine if they finish 5th,
I mean you can never explain the name bit like "The World Series" in baseball it doesn't make literal sense but you just have to accept it. They should actually call the new version the UEFA Premier Cup.
I think the drop down was done to try and give the europa league a bit more glamour for the knockout rounds. I personally think it cheapens the competition as we lets face it those who drop down don't take it seriously.
The seedings are better now as the top seed teams are all league winners plus the current holders and europa league winners. That actually makes sense.