Blueprint for the European Cup in the 21st Century.

[all_funkt_up]

Once upon a time it was a Cup of Champions. Nowadays its the domain of the rich and powerful, no matter where they finish in the league. The days of drawing Lokomotiv Boris or Spartak Slobski in the Quarter Finals are over. These days the weak teams and those that are not worthy are filtered out well before the big boys arrive. Whether they are the respective champions of their country or not doesnt matter. Bums on seats and Television Money is what counts these days and thats what the torunament is engineered around.

G14 (comprised of the 18 largest clubs in Europe) announced in a leaked report yesterday that they want their 18 members to compete in the competition every year. I have no problem with that as long as they are there on merit. But fixing a 'champions cup' so that it ends up as nothing more than a revenue generating tool of Europe's biggest club therefore renders the competition meaningless doesnt it?

Sad day I think when the competition is based on the biggest rather than the most worthy.

G14 MEMBERS
Ajax
Arsenal
Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Inter Milan
Juventus
Liverpool
Lyon
Manchester United
Marseille
AC Milan
Paris St Germain
Porto
PSV Eindhoven
Real Madrid
Valencia
.

How the hell are PSG in there anyway?

[Rashin]

I bet Chelsea wants to join the club, they might buy PSG's place

[all_funkt_up]

Rashin - nah they only let big clubs in the G14 mate.

Apparently they applied last week and we're turned down - then denied it happened ......It was reported in The Guardian

[Winrew]

"We are key players in the industry and want to have the same power to decide as the national associations."

Barcelona,s vice president.
Arrogant bugger !!!

More stuff here .....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...pe/4822224.stm

[Burt Saddo]

The champions league was devalued years ago. How can it even be called the champions League? All about money and it is killing the game at grass roots.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by Burt Saddo

The champions league was devalued years ago. How can it even be called the champions League? All about money and it is killing the game at grass roots.

Couldn't agree more Burt.

That link Winrew. They are complaining and trying to get a few extra games in europe??

Wait a second, is this not the majority of clubs who are normally moaning about a fixture congestion and asking for less games to be played?

[Winrew]

Wait a second, is this not the majority of clubs who are normally moaning about a fixture congestion and asking for less games to be played

Aye , thats the ones Kiko......

[all_funkt_up]

Kiko - they want less internationals.

G14 this week has backed Charleroi in taking action against FIFA after one of their Moroccan players was injured while on international duty. Charleroi are saying that the Moroccan FA or FIFA should pay the player's wages for the year he is off work. First nail in the coffin for International Football if G14 win this one I am afraid.

Here's another quote from that Barcelona tit

We want more games and guaranteed competition all the time

He sound's like Mourinho's brother, arrogant twat....

More match days for the Champions League is an issue for the national associations as regards international dates and that comes back to the calendar