UEFA Cup - is it dead ?

[OwlsFan]

Is there much hope for this Tournament or are all eyes on the Champions League (which takes the top 4 teams from the top leagues) ? 14K turned up to see Middlesborough play last night and Bolton's european debut saw 19K at the Reebok (Sheff Wednesday got more last season in Division 1 against Doncaster and MK Dons etc). It's now a second rate competition bolstered by some CL rejects but the fans (Celtic's apart) just don't seem to be interested. 4K at Cork City's game in Prague.

[Cosmo]

I thought its been dead the last few years :confused:

Have no interest in it myself tbh unless an Eircom League team is still in it (or maybe to have a laugh at celtic getting thumped out) - after that, I switch off totally.

With a few teams from alot of countries in the champions league you're only usually left with the boltons and boros for the uefa cup which isnt really too appealing!!!

[Dan K]

The UEFA club tournaments need a massive overhaul, to wrestle back power from the 18 clubs that make up the G14, and who run football for their own financial gain rather than for the interests of sport.

[anto eile]

no i like the uefa cup.
**** the champions league

[holidaysong]

I think they need to make the champions league smaller (maybe half the amount of teams getting in) to make the UEFA cup better (the UEFA cup was far better back when there was only 1/2 teams getting into the champions league per country) but they are never going to do this as the champions league is where the money is.. So it looks like the UEFA cup will either end up on the heap, where the cup winner's cup ended up a few seasons ago, or it will turn into a complete joke like the intertoto.

[thejollyrodger]

They could take at least one team out of each group of the CL and it would be a far better competition.

[Gerrit]

While I boycot the Champions League as much as I can (= if Rosenborg doesn't play) I still fancy the UEFA Cup, the theatre of dreams for small clubs. The only disgusting thing is that the CL failures are being adopted in the UEFA Cup, but apart from that I find it a very interesting tournament. Beats CL (or should I say $L) anytime...

[tetsujin1979]

The UEFA Cup has seen recent tv audiences rise in later stages of the competition, mainly because the knock out element of it adds a sense of danger that isn't in the Champion's League, lose one match and you'll have to pull out all the stops to win the return game to stay in. Newcastle won 3 CL games a few season ago and went through, Ferguson has repeatedly said that after he gets 10 points, you're probably going to go through.
The new league format was forced on UEFA to generate some form of interest away from the Champion's League, and in the long run may actually detract from the interest the form of competition I mentioned above generated. Since it is usually the smaller, or overachieving, clubs that play in it, it can be hard to generate interest in away games - I think only 1,000 fans followed Everton?? It is easy to say it's dying now in the early stages, wait until the first knock out stage after the group games and see what kind of attendances / tv audiences are being generated.

[eirebhoy]

They could take at least one team out of each group of the CL and it would be a far better competition.
They already do. Its not the quality of the teams thats the problem. There are some fantastic teams in it. AZ v Sporting last season was one of the best matches I've ever seen. Especially as I had a good bit on AZ to win the cup.

[pete]

Since it is usually the smaller, or overachieving, clubs that play in it, it can be hard to generate interest in away games - I think only 1,000 fans followed Everton?? It is easy to say it's dying now in the early stages, wait until the first knock out stage after the group games and see what kind of attendances / tv audiences are being generated.

I would think that in the old European Cup knockout format the big clubs didn't have much interest in the early rounds against smaller teams. Maybe an open draw would arose some interest. In the bigger leagues the Uefa Cup is only chance some teams have of European football - in england the 4th place for CL is only hope of most team as top 3 decided already.

[superfrank]

I like the Uefa not so many big-headed teams and it's more likely for an upset.

[CollegeTillIDie]

The fact remains Fans love the knock out element of the UEFA Cup , which has been diluted somewhat by this group system in the middle phase. The Chairmen/Presidents/ Accountanty type boffins that run the clubs hate the uncertainty of knockout football.
Prefer the money spinning group stages ala Champions League as it guarantees revenue streams. The fact remains that in many countries in Europe professional football is barely managing to keep it's head above water. An early European exit frequently leads to trimming of wages bills and Coaches getting the bullet.

[thejollyrodger]

I think the UEFA Cup has a lot to offer smaller teams. Not everyone can play in the Champions League. The group stages have done no harm since its gives a lot of clubs something to aim for.

I dont know what the clubs around europe think..do they think its just fine or a waste of time. I know it would be great for some eircom league clubs to get invovled in the group stages each year.

[Thunderblaster]

Just go back to the old days when the league champions went into the European Cup, the league runners up went into the UEFA Cup and the cup winners went into the Cup Winners Cup. It is all about re-examining the direction of football.

[Rebal Boy]

Just go back to the old days when the league champions went into the European Cup, the league runners up went into the UEFA Cup and the cup winners went into the Cup Winners Cup. It is all about re-examining the direction of football.

I think it should go back to those days. It would make leagues all over Europe way more compeative I feel. Thats my view anyway.

[ccfcgirl]

;) There was nothing Dead about it on Thursday night .When over 800 city Supporters sang there heart out in Prague. ;) ;)

[thejollyrodger]

Just go back to the old days when the league champions went into the European Cup, the league runners up went into the UEFA Cup and the cup winners went into the Cup Winners Cup. It is all about re-examining the direction of football.

Back in the golden era of football.

[Macy]

Just go back to the old days when the league champions went into the European Cup, the league runners up went into the UEFA Cup and the cup winners went into the Cup Winners Cup. It is all about re-examining the direction of football.
Yeah, the UEFA cup was still the poor relation...

[OwlsFan]

;) There was nothing Dead about it on Thursday night .When over 800 city Supporters sang there heart out in Prague. ;) ;)

And only 3.200 natives showed up for the game :p. Very good open game. Enjoyed it (apart from the result).

[Lim till i die]

And only 3.200 natives showed up for the game :p. Very good open game. Enjoyed it (apart from the result).

Sure they were only playing a group of technically inferior Irish journymen ;)