It was a long time ago now, but the European Cup/Champions League used to be a competition where Champions of European leagues squared off.
That way, you’d find out who the best team in Europe was. It wasn’t always the most entertainment value. Repeat winners like Inter Milan and Ajax made it a monopoly over different spells. But you were never likely to see the 4th best team in England make the final.
Now, obviously the competition has grown and grown. It’s inarguably the biggest cup competition in club football. Without both Real and Barca, or Juve and Inter, etc, it wouldn’t be quite the same. Yet, there comes a point where genuine league champions are being pushed out. Having to play up to four qualifying rounds, as Celtic have done in seasons prior, is a bit of a joke. My colleague Hamish Carton did a fantastic explainer on this, which you can watch here.
However, after the Super League revolt of this week, the times, they might be a-becomin’ slightly different. According to The Times’ Martyn Ziegler, the structure of the Champions League is still under scrutiny. Guaranteed spots for clubs with a fine history in the competition are now under threat.
Zeigler wrote [The Times]:
“Uefa is set to be hit with a concerted campaign to drop its plan for two Champions League places awarded on the basis of historical performances in Europe.
“One [European Clubs Association] board member told The Times that there was a strong feeling that the extra guaranteed places should be given to the likes of Celtic, Rangers and Ajax for winning their respective leagues rather than handed to the elite clubs based on historical performances over the previous five years.”
The current Champions League is unfit for purpose
Ziegler explained that the use of coefficients had caused rumblings within the ECA, of which Peter Lawwell is a member.
He wrote [The Times]:
“If such a system had been in place now it would have meant Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who finished in eighth and sixth place in the Premier League respectively, qualifying for the Champions League last season ahead of fifth-place Leicester City.
“Lars Christer-Olsson, the outgoing president of the European Leagues, said before his final board meeting: “There are still open questions concerning access to the competition based on coefficients.””
Now, this writer will admit that this is hard to understand on first look. So, let’s break it down:
Currently, clubs with large European coefficients are to be guaranteed Champions League places. The on-its-face-ludicrous scenario involving Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, for example, would take place. However, there’s debate as to whether or not that’s utterly insane, and instead, clubs who actually win their leagues should get those “guaranteed” places instead.
If you’re checking, little actually changed this week. Elitism is still absolutely rife, and we’re hopeful that European football’s governing body will eventually see sense on this issue.
READ MORE: What’s the story Bolingoli? Celtic exile returns to training.
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