This has another epic UCD assault on Europe written all over it, eh p stu? lol
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Details are here in the access list: https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles...2_DOWNLOAD.pdf
Basically good for the champion (as champions now have 2 safety nets).
Terrible for non-champions as no way for them to get into the UEL other than win UEL2.
What is far more important is what colour Cork City's 3rd EL2 away shirt might be.......
I didn't realise how dramatic the change was.... basically they're kicking everyone from countries like Scotland, Croatia, Sweden and down to Ireland, Finland, NI, Wales etc out of the EL to make it easier for the likes of Ajax, Villarreal and Everton. If, and it's a big if, the new competition is financed as well as the EL qualifying is now it'll not make a huge amount of difference to the LoI qualifiers- indeed it'd make group qualification a realistic target. If it's not financed generously it'll be a disaster for the league (and similar leagues), especially when it looks like there's even more protection (and therefore cold hard cash) for the small countries champions. If Celtic/Bate/Dinamo Zagreb/TNS/HJK Helsinki keep winning titles it has the potential to make it almost impossible for the rest to compete.... and obviously if any LoI club could win 6 or 7 titles in a short period of time they could well disappear over the horizon
So all of our current EL spots will change to EL2?!
Looks that way, yeah.
Is the EL going from 64 teams in the groups to 32?
Would have been nice to be able to use the extra tournament to invite one extra club per country in Europe.
48 to 32.... 12 groups of 4 down to 8, with the 8 group winners into the Last 16 and the 8 runners-up playing the 8 Champions League third placers to join them, it seems.
But yeh, basically 90% of the current Europa League participants are being fecked out into the new competition
did i see somewhere a Thursday 3pm or 3.30pm k/o for these games in uel2 ?
Good cash involved but that k/o time is stoopid!
Money would have to be good as that kick off time would kill the gate.
Unless it's bohs in Europe as they don't work. Or is Thursday dole day ? Could be a problem :) :)
I only noticed this too, that the Europa will be shortened and no extra europe places. Were Uefa slow to publicize this part or what? Dont know what to think of it to be honest, could be great or could be another intertwobob cup.
So basically clubs like Valencia and Zenit and Everton (not exactly top ranking, but established and familiar to the bar-stool type supporter) are now literally 'out of our (Europa) league'? Irish clubs will now be playing teams from countries Luxembourg and Lithuania with no prospect at getting at the 'big boys'?? Can't see this going down well withe Dundalk's owners, for example - or any other potential foreign investors. Is this really the future, or have I missed something?
If enough money is put into it the competition could have a good upside for LOI club - further safety net for LOI winners and possibility of further/longer involvement for LOI runner up.But it will probably mean the end of any chance of 'attractive' opposition (i.e. big name clubs). It will all depend on what's its worth to qualify for the UEL2 group stage.
The flip side I suppose is that there's more chance of the Irish side getting out of their group. A last-48 round tie might spark some interest.
Though the reality is Irish clubs have gotten to two group stages in 26 years; we're hardly affected in reality. What big Europa League draws have we had in qualifying? (Leave out Cork v Legia as that was really a CL tie)
I like the idea of smaller countries getting to the group stages; it could turn Europe into more than just a four-week thing in pre-season and could spark local interest.
I would rather more clubs qualified for Europe as a result. Could Dundalk really end up playing in all three competitions? That's daft and just takes a qualifying spot from someone else.
And 4:30 kick-offs - presumably for group stages only? - is obviously mad
I hate this idea of clubs failing in one competition and parachuting into the other. For example third place teams in EL groups going into Europa League knockouts is just daft. Less against it in the earlier rounds for smaller countries but the die is being loaded more and more in favour of the big clubs all the time.
But that's what everything UEFA does is about.
They're fighting a fruitless incremental struggle against a breakaway European Super League. And instead they're introducing one by stealth very very slowly in an attempt to keep the big clubs on board. But I suspect they'll dump UEFA when it suits them any way - hence why it's inevitably fruitless in the longer term for UEFA to struggle to retain relevance in this way.