Champions League 2016/17

[Giroud]

Scottish football in dire straits. When I was growing up there were a few pretty decent players up there like Prso, Nakamura and Larsson and at least one of the big Glasgow clubs were in the Champions League. Nearly scored there but now Celtic just have 10 minutes to find an equaliser against the ****ing champions of Gibraltar.

 

[Rosso]

Rodgers. Losing his first game in charge against Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar.

 

[Dammit]

Apparently a local policeman scored the goal.

 

[4R5Emaniac]

Rodgers. Losing his first game in charge against Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar.

Red Imps of Gibraltar

 

[Gooner Zig]

Red Imps of Gibraltar

 

[turkish gooner]

3rd qualification round draws today

 

[razörist]

3rd qualification round draws today

Oh cool. Ajax is in this round, I think. Hoping for a nice draw.

 

[bingobob]

Lots of rumours that Rodgers picked the side in the first leg to show how bad the team was and that he needed money to improve it. It was an awful result but there are two legs and Celtic comfortably won the second one and are in the draw which is exactly what Rodgers was brought into achieve. Guaranteed European football. If he made a point in doing so then that to me shows a smart manager.

 

[Amsterdam Gooner 88]

@razörist Any predictions on Ajax-PAOK upcoming tuesday? Are you confident dispite a shiddy pre-season?

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Ajax playing Russian team FK Rostov in the fourth Round of the Champions League, we might finally get two Dutch clubs in the Champions League again. Though they could still mess it up, wouldn't be the first time.

Manchester City should have an easy ride, and there's even a nice fixture in Porto - Roma.

Play-off draw
League route
Steaua București (ROU) v Manchester City (ENG) – 16 & 24 August
Porto (POR) v Roma (ITA) – 17 & 23 August
Ajax (NED) v Rostov (RUS) – 16 & 24 August
Young Boys (SUI) v Borussia Mönchengladbach (GER) – 16 & 24 August
Villarreal (ESP) v Monaco (FRA) – 17 & 23 August

Champions route
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) v Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) – 17 & 23 August
Celtic (SCO) v Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) – 17 & 23 August
FC København (DEN) v APOEL (CYP) – 16 & 24 August
Dundalk (IRL) v Legia Warszawa (POL) – 17 & 23 August
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Salzburg (AUT) – 16 & 24 August

 

[turkish gooner]

porto - roma sounds nice

 

[A_G]

That attack...

 

[Rimaal]

OH, I forgot there was football tonight. What a lovely surprise. Good night, then, free of fretting about transfers.

 

[James Bond]

So that whining Milan guy looks to be getting his way then?

*Edit* found the old article
From 2014:

AC Milan director Umberto Gandini believes Champions League wildcards should be introduced to ensure some of Europe's biggest clubs do not miss out.

Currently, the Premier League top three qualify automatically, with the side in fourth entering the play-off round.

In Italy, the top two go straight into the Champions League, with third going into the play-offs.

"I think we have to look at ways of improving the Champions League," Gandini told BBC World Service.

"I would like to see opportunities for wildcards or different routes for clubs who have the ability, the prestige or the size to compete in the Champions League."

However Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino said this week that wildcards would never happen.

Manchester United and AC Milan, past winners of the Champions League,are not competing in this season's competition after finishing seventh and eighth in their respective leagues.

"Look at Italy for example, every year you have two teams qualifying directly and one to the play-offs, but you have Juventus, Milan, Inter, Roma, Napoli, Fiorentina and Lazio trying to play for the top three spots," Gandini said.

"In England now you have Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool trying to qualify for the top four.

"Every year one two or three miss out and either play in the Europa League or have to go without European football."

Gandini said that revenue from European football is too important for clubs, adding: "Today we play a competition with 32 clubs, every season you have a fantastic run by underdogs who, say, get to the quarter finals. This is good for football.

"On the other hand there are more and more important clubs - important because of history and size - that miss out."

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/29572414

09 Aug 2016

The Champions League is reportedly set to be reformed from the 2018/19 season onwards, with changes to qualification rules for the top four leagues in Europe.

Under a proposed new qualification format, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga could all be guaranteed four clubs qualifying automatically every season.

However, one new feature of the rule is that while the top three teams in each domestic league would earn a place in the group stage, the fourth would be decided on something described as ‘historical merit’, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

It’s not yet clear what the specifics of this will mean, but the aim is to keep in giants of the game such as Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan, all of whom have been in and out of the competition in recent years due to poor showings in the league.

At Europe’s top table, however, they have all been among the most successful sides in the tournament’s history, having won 15 European Cups between them.

Still, this would be bad news for teams like Arsenal and Tottenham, who are regulars in the top four running [ ], but who would be potentially denied a place in the Champions League for having never won the trophy itself.

Current Premier League champions Leicester City would also have to work harder to keep their place in Europe’s top club competition due to their lack of history at this level, though many anticipate that even finishing in the top four will be a huge challenge for the Foxes despite their shock title success last season.

One step closer to a super league.

 

[Aevi]

So that whining Milan guy looks to be getting his way then?

*Edit* found the old article
From 2014:


http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/29572414

09 Aug 2016



One step closer to a super league.

The top-4-go-through rule makes sense to increase competition in the tournament. It's nice to have top teams of the top leagues in, makes the group stages more interesting.

The "historical merit" thing is absolute bollocks though, and not because we wouldn't benefit from it much. It's not of actual value imo, if a team like Leicester/West Ham/Mainz/Sampdoria are able to fight their way into a place, they should be rewarded. Not their fault Milan was good once-upon-a-time.

 

[A_G]

Silva in CM ffs, they need Gundogan back asap

 

[Aevi]

Silva in CM ffs, they need Gundogan back asap

Strong team, they aren't risking anything.

 

[Rimaal]

Looking forward to this.

 

[SiMamu]

Silva in CM ffs, they need Gundogan back asap

Why? It's like Santi Cazorla at CM for Arsenal and Pablo Hernandez at CM for Leeds.

 

[Rimaal]

I don't think I've ever seen Pep look so worried at the start of a game. He doesn't think his team is ready.