FA Cup winners to get a CL place - possibly

[loz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6961888.stm

I like this idea. The status of the FA Cup took a massive blow when Man Utd opted out of it and has struggled to receover due to teams like Utd and Arsenal playing under strength sides in it.

I love the FA Cup so I welcome anything that makes it a more competitive and sought after trophy again.

[Lofty]

Which means that, a few years or so ago. the Mancs having already won the League, Millwall would have had a Champions League place.

I think I'd prefer to see the re-introduction of the Cup Winners Cup, but that something else that ain't gonna happen, as are an end to the over-emphasis on the Champions League and long-drawn out near pointlessness of the Eufa Cup.

[Sofa Manager]

Ridiculous idea.

[loz]

The Millwall situation is not exactly commonplace though (though somehting similar has happened in Scotland a couple of times recently) and I wouldn't use that as an argument against it.

I agree about the over emphasis on the Champions league and I would also much prefer to see a more significant revamp which reduced the focus on the CL and restored more credibility to the UEFA Cup however that is nothing than a pipe dream now due to TV revenue.

[loz]

Ridiculous idea.

A valid argument, well constructed and comprehensively justified!

[Sofa Manager]

Ridiculous idea.

A valid argument, well constructed and comprehensively justified!

How did I know you'd answer that, Adolf

Taken from the article you linked:

"It comes after Platini's plan to reduce qualification spots for any one country from four to three was rejected. However, this proposal could be viewed as an compromise."

So basically, Platini promised to defend the weak and opressed countries who only manage to get 1 team at most in the CL......"Blah blah, I am a savior, I will take from the rich to give to the poor as I always was a fan of Robin Wood...". Where have I heard all that before ?

NOT even going into the pros and cons of some countries having 4, other having 2 or 1 team there...Not even going to the seriously debatable argument of it being called "CHAMPIONS League" and yet having 3 out of 4 or 2 out of 3 teams (from a few countries) who have won ziltch, NOW...the FA CUP ?? FA CUP ? FFS !!

So now...basically, the main Cup in England is possibly going to provide an extra (is it extra ?) spot for the CL. "Hurray", says Mr. Gyuri from Hungary, and Mr. Tinvanauskas from Lituania. Why all this fuss you ask ? Beacuse the winner of the Cup of Hungary and the Cup of Lituania will also have an extra spot in CL. Meanwhile every other european country is also submiting their aplication for their Cup winners to be in the Champion$ League Cup.

Excelent news for them.

Ohhh F**k off Platini will you ?! Admit. You tried to beat the $ystem but the $ystem has offered you a beatiful chateau in Innsbruck to keep you quiet.

[loz]

That is an entirely different point though. I don't disagree with the argument that four teams from one country is too many (hell I am all for it going back to just the Champions) and there is no doubt that Platini is, as most of them do, immediately going back on his pre-election promises. However IF England is to maintain multiple places (which it clearly is) then I like the idea of one of them going to the FA Cup winner rather to a 4th spot team (and if they were to reduce the number of palces for English teams to three I would say top two and FA Cup winner - maybe with the tag on that if the team that wins the FA Cup has already qualified through finishing in the top two then the third qualification spot shouldn't go to the cup losers but go to the third spot team (which gets around the Millwall issue Lofty mentioned).

However i don't think this should just be something for England. I think it has go one of two ways. Either UEFA make an across the board ruling which states that the cup winners in all the European leagues get a spot (which they won't do) or they tell each local FA the number of places they are allowed and the local FA has to decide the basis of qualification (with that basis having to be ratified by UEFA).

Now until we meet again I have some goose stepping to be getting on with.

[g3.7]

I like the idea, would be great for the FA cup.

you wouldn't get arsenal playing their second team anymore, or the mancs going off to brazil for some nonsene tournament.

[forbzy]

I like the idea. Who can honestly say that 4th place in the league deserves to be in the Champions League more than the FA Cup winners? I know there is the question about how to handle a situation where a team has already qualified for the Champions League and wins the FA Cup. Apparently UEFA are expected to give the place back to 4th in the league rather than FA Cup runner up under such circumstances. So Millwall, West Ham etc. would not have got into the Champions League as runners up. I think that makes sense.

It will go a long way towards bringing the FA Cup back to its former glory. I still love the competition and would welcome that.

[undertow]

"Hurray", says Mr. Gyuri from Hungary,

gyuri is the short form of gy?rgy which is george, so this could be translated as mr georgie ;)

now, we do use forenames as family names but always in the full form. it's also worth a note that the family name comes before the given name here. (eg: kov?cs j?nos would be j?nos kov?cs -john smith- in england)

sorry, language lesson over

[Kev123]

I agree it's a good idea. For average teams like Tottenham, Newcastle and so on FA Cup might become more important than the Premiership, Cup Competitions are often a lottery, so they would have a decent chance at Champs League football, unlike through the league

[loz]

For average teams like Tottenham, Newcastle and

you forgot Liverpool

[lauren]

what happens when the winners and losers finish in a CL league place like we did last year with the Manks?

[Kev123]

3rd and 4th playoff? Unless one of those 3rd or 4th placed teams is Liverpool then it its their right that it should be given to them