[Fillipo Simone]

Strangely enough a goal.com writer makes some great points

I still don't understand how the rejected competition ie the UEFA Cup, gets clubs as many points for wins as the CL does, just ridiculous

+1

[Milan Are Brilli...]

Compared to Barça, Chelsea, Bayern and ManU? They're nothing.

This year I'd fancy us against Chelsea and Bayern. Barca/Man U I still wouldn't but if we are going to progress in this competition that's the sort of teams we have to beat.

[acid911]

Strangely enough a goal.com writer makes some great points

This goal.com writers is as ungoal.com as it comes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/innocent.gif) Carlo Garganeses is Italian football through and through, and his stuff is more often than not different to what the regular eggheads at that site spew out. Of course, he's going to make some great points.

[Bluesummers]

tough match, they're going to pressure us high and attack us with pace.

[kurtsimonw]

I still don't understand how the rejected competition ie the UEFA Cup, gets clubs as many points for wins as the CL does, just ridiculous

The article touched upon exactly why the points go as they are, but seemingly ignored it.

The whole point of the co-efficient points are to determine the strongest league. League, not top 4 teams. In the Europe League you have each of the nations 2nd tier teams playing off against each other, it's not like it's an unfair advantage to anyone (If anything you could claim the countries with 4 CL teams actually have it tougher in the Europa League as their Europa League teams finish further down the table). If a country only has 3 or 4 good teams, that's their problem.

That article is exactly what is wrong with football today, the opinion that "if you aren't one of the Worlds best teams, what's the point of you existing?".

[Zed.D]

So you mean Bundesliga is stronger than Serie A league because its 2nd tier teams performed better in a 2nd tier competition, as opposed to Serie A's 1st tier teams performing better in a 1st tier competition?

Doesn't make sense to me.

If Bundesliga has outperformed Serie A in Europa League, they should get more spots in THAT league, not in a different league ie Champions League, where Serie A has outperformed Bundesliga.

According to these silly points, France's Ligue 1 too is close to overtaking Serie A as well. who in their right mind would believe that Ligue 1 is a stronger league than Serie A? Ligue 1 for crying out loud...

[Milan Are Brilli...]

I can sort of see both sides to this, I mean they are trying to define what is the strongest league, not the best teams in a league as Kurt mentioned. For example if they looked at Celtic/Rangers they would think they were pretty bad ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) ) but if they looked at the Scottish League they would think it's terrible.

Though the thing that doesn't make sense if the Italians are doing better in the CL but worse in the Europa League, surely the CL would take priority.

If the French league is close, well, I smell some more corruption from the useless clowns.

[kurtsimonw]

So you mean Bundesliga is stronger than Serie A league because its 2nd tier teams performed better in a 2nd tier competition, as opposed to Serie A's 1st tier teams performing better in a 1st tier competition?

No Bundesliga is stronger because in recent years it has been outperforming Serie A overall in European competition.

The co-efficiency ratings are actually 1 thing that UEFA does a real good job in, in my opinion. Pushes associations to try and improve the league as a whole.

If Italian teams don't take a UEFA tournement seriously, then UEFA aren't going to reward you with more European places.

This post has been edited by kurtsimonw: Dec 18 2010, 01:12 PM

[han2503]

No Bundesliga is stronger because in recent years it has been outperforming Serie A overall in European competition.

The co-efficiency ratings are actually 1 thing that UEFA does a real good job in, in my opinion. Pushes associations to try and improve the league as a whole.

If Italian teams don't take a UEFA tournement seriously, then UEFA aren't going to reward you with more European places.

The point here is that Serie A has done a lot better in the CL then Bundesliga has, yet Serie A is about to lose a place because Europa league teams from the Bundesliga have done better. It's a completely BS system if you ask me.

The Europa league is not taken seriously by most teams in Italy who enter it, yes it's not UEFA's problem but the ranking system is rediculous, a CL match should be worth more then a EL match, simple. Just as those stats show, Italy have been far more superior in the CL, and imo have the better teams then the Bundesliga, but now we are going to be seeing 4 German teams in the CL, based on the fact that some of them did better in a second rate compeition.

Ridiculous

[CHU-LIP]

I also not think it's right Europa League and Champions League matches are rewarded the same. Champions League is the higher stage, everyone finds it more precious, Europa League simply is not important compared to it, while the coefficients system tell otherwise, and that's not accurate. This is coming from someone who likes 1. Bundesliga more than Serie A, so I'm not being bias. Serie A has more teams that can do something in Champions League than 1. Bundesliga, and actually have done more in Champions League than Germans teams. Just compare the teams: AC Milan, Internazionale, Juventus, AS Roma - Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04.

[acid911]

But then again, Italian teams can perform good in the Europa League and get their coefficient back up, can't they? While I don't think putting the EL and CL in the same bracket makes sense, but it is not like UEFA is favoring the German teams ahead of others. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) It's the same number of points to play with, and the onus is on the Juventuses and Napolis to make the most of it when they play in the Europa league.

[Fillipo Simone]

AC Milan, Internazionale, Juventus, AS Roma - Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04.

Actually, Borussia Dortmund has won more the AS Roma, and Bayer is (when looking at CL stats only) on level with them with one lost final. Also, you may have added HSV.

[CHU-LIP]

Actually, Borussia Dortmund has won more the AS Roma, and Bayer is (when looking at CL stats only) on level with them with one lost final. Also, you may have added HSV.

I was referring to nowadays.

This post has been edited by CHU-LIP: Dec 19 2010, 01:33 PM

[Rossoneri7]

Loosing Italy's footing in the UEFA coefficients is something predictable. When you had Galliani, last season, stating that la merda needed to win the game in normal time for Italy to remain ahead with respect to UEFA ranking and coefficients ... Then you know how bad it is.

Italy lost a CL place to Germany, a country that far exceeds Italy in all aspects of the economy; let alone footballing standards. With that said, Italy had been trying to patch things up now and then just to remain with four CL seats ... Now that has gone, and I doubt Italy's ability to play catch-up.

We just have to live with three CL seats and that is that ... Germany deserve it, if anything for their consistent run in all UEFA competitions in recent years.

[Milan Are Brilli...]

Hopefully a repeat of last years tie in terms of entertainment and quality, in just over an hour and a half.

Wonder if Barca will bring a footballing master class for the 1st half again, last year it was incredible.