UEFA Cup to be Expanded

[SalvadorSanchez]

Looks like UEFA cup is to be expanded to 48 teams in 12 groups and renamed Europa Cup, looks like Irish Clubs might have a better chance to qualify for the group stages which would mean 6 games home and away in the group stages, the bigger nations mighn't like it but it can't hurt leagues like ours that there are more places up for grabs and potentailly more profile and revenue for the clubs...

[brianw82]

How many teams are in it now? Is it 8 groups of 5 teams? It seems to go on for bloody ages, that's all I know.

[Dodge]

How many teams are in it now? Is it 8 groups of 5 teams? It seems to go on for bloody ages, that's all I know.

8 groups of 5 teams, but its only 4 games (or 5 matchnights as they call it) hardly forever...

I don't think Irish teams have a better chance of qualifying for this though (maybe losing champions league entrants)

The most interesting bit is that losing cup finalists will no longer be entered into the UEFA Cup

[Rovers1]

The most interesting bit is that losing cup finalists will no longer be entered into the UEFA Cup

was that ever the case in the LOI?

[Dodge]

Yep. Loads of losong cup finalists entered the UEFA Cup. Pats being the last to do so last year.

[WindmillWarrior]

The new Lansdowne Road is the venue favourite to host the 2011 Europa League final.

The development came as UEFA confirmed that the UEFA Cup will be renamed the UEFA Europa League from next season.

European soccer's governing body also announced that beaten domestic cup finalists will no longer be allowed into the competition.

The new-look league will have 48 clubs in 12 groups of four, with the top two in each joining the eight third-placed clubs from the Champions League in a 32-club knock-out stage.

UEFA took the decision at their executive committee meeting in Bordeaux, and also ruled that beaten cup finalists will no longer be eligible even if the cup winners have qualified for the Champions League.

A UEFA spokesman said: 'The new format will result in many teams from all over Europe contesting the new UEFA Europa League, with teams from emerging countries or lesser known teams challenging the 'old' order of established European clubs.

'It is exactly this special character that the new identity will seek to capture.'

The competition has TV rights sold centrally, in the same way as the Champions League, which should increase income to clubs.

UEFA president Michel Platini said: 'I am convinced the new format will give the UEFA Europa League a successful new impetus.'

It also emerged today that UEFA are expected to formally confirm in December that Wembley Stadium in London will host the 2011 Champions League final.

[pineapple stu]

Source?

(Not being a *****; just want to see who's saying Lansdowne is the favourite for the new final - assume it's RTÉ, in which case, I wouldn't put too much faith in it)

[Mr A]

Taking away the losing cup finalist spots are just another way of making sure only the bigger clubs get into Europe. Personally I think it's pretty cool when the likes of Longford or Millwall got into Europe that way and means all clubs can dare to dream.

[Dodge]

Taking away the losing cup finalist spots are just another way of making sure only the bigger clubs get into Europe. Personally I think it's pretty cool when the likes of Longford or Millwall got into Europe that way and means all clubs can dare to dream.

Agree 100%

[lofty9]

Yep. Loads of losong cup finalists entered the UEFA Cup. Pats being the last to do so last year.

It suits Pats all right ;)

[Boh_So_Good]

Taking away the losing cup finalist spots are just another way of making sure only the bigger clubs get into Europe. Personally I think it's pretty cool when the likes of Longford or Millwall got into Europe that way and means all clubs can dare to dream.

Amen to that.

[Celdrog]

So am I right in assuming that for next year our Euro teams are:
Bohs in the CL
2nd and 3rd in the UEFA (or Europa super duper or whatever)
Cup winners in the UEFA (or 4th if 1st, 2nd or 3rd win the cup)

[holidaysong]

So am I right in assuming that for next year our Euro teams are:
Bohs in the CL
2nd and 3rd in the UEFA (or Europa super duper or whatever)
Cup winners in the UEFA (or 4th if 1st, 2nd or 3rd win the cup)

Correct.

[John83]

Source?

(Not being a *****; just want to see who's saying Lansdowne is the favourite for the new final - assume it's RTÉ, in which case, I wouldn't put too much faith in it)
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0926/uefa.html

[Dodge]

So am I right in assuming that for next year our Euro teams are:
Bohs in the CL
2nd and 3rd in the UEFA (or Europa super duper or whatever)
Cup winners in the UEFA (or 4th if 1st, 2nd or 3rd win the cup)

Yep, but its likely that Cup Winners will enter the UEFA Cup at a later round thatn the league qualifiers

[Baker]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0926/uefa.html

The Guardian had this also.

"London's Emirates Stadium could now be ruled out as a result of Wembley's appointment and Bucharest's National Stadium is behind schedule,"

It therefore makes sense that Landsdowne would be favourite.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/7829054

[TheBoss]

40 Teams currently make the group stage and this new group stage has 48 teams, it is just 8 more spots, I still think the League of Ireland still has the same chance as before.

[Dodge]

40 Teams currently make the group stage and this new group stage has 48 teams, it is just 8 more spots, I still think the League of Ireland still has the same chance as before.

It has more teams entering it though, as the intertoto is now gone

[TheBoss]

Yes, that should make it even harder so.

[holidaysong]

I think the real chance of making the UEFA Europa League group stages comes from the Champions League. The losers from QR3 in the CL now go straight into the group stages of the Europa League. If this had been around when Shels lost out to Deportivo then they would have been assured of 6 more match nights rather than the two they got against Lille.

[TheBoss]

Just looking at the Qualifying Rounds for next season, 4 rounds of qualifying to get to group stage and 3 rounds if Cup Winner, that is hard.

I could see Bohs going close to a Champions League spot next season, with the new qualifying system.

[pineapple stu]

I think clubs going broke will have more impact on group qualification than an extra 8 spots, to be honest.

Stupid name, but sure if we get into it, I won't mind. :)

[holidaysong]

Also, there will be a change to co-efficients next year too:


Also approved was the amendment of the club coefficient system, from the 2009/10 season onwards,
to take into account results obtained in the qualifying rounds, re-balance the distribution of points to
better reflect the higher level of difficulty of the UEFA Champions League and reduce the weighting of
the association coefficient contribution to the club coefficient from 33% to 20%.

http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/pressrelease/uefa/uefamedia/75/42/19/754219_download.pdf