Champions League...let's make it better

Happy 2013 to everyone, I cannot believe it is already the 21st and I haven't written a thing about footy! My apologies. So here we go with my first post of the year. It is about something that I have been stewing on for awhile now...the Champions League. For some of us old timers we remember when there were 3 European Cups -

• The Cup of Champions (what is now the Champions League)
• The Cup of Cups (for the winners of each respective domestic Cup)
• The UEFA Cup (what is now the Europa League)

The Cup of Champions...was for....well, Champions. Teams had to win their domestic leagues to qualify. Therefore the name for the trophy. The tournament was also straight home-away knock out, making the games "count" right from the get go. The format also made the UEFA Cup important. For example, with that format teams like PSG, Manchester United, Arsenal, Valencia, Inter, Milan to name a few, would be in this competition this season as opposed to the Champions League.  The Cup of Cups would have the likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, Lyon, Dortmund and Napoli in this year's version. Granted you would not have the concentration of top clubs in one competition, but you would have teams slotted where they belong! Does it make sense that when Chelsea won the Champions League last season, they were only the third best team in LONDON (they finished behind Arsenal and Tottenham in the EPL) yet they were crowned the best team in Europe?? Does not seem to make sense. The teams in the Champion League...should be a champion! Having all these teams in the Champions League has made the Cup of Cups defunct and also made the Europa League irrelevant.

I think that the format has made winning a domestic title irrelevant as well! Why? Take Arsenal as a perfect example. What drives Gunner fans, like myself mad, is that Wenger and his band of merry men can basically run their team to challenge for a Champions League spot, as opposed to challenge for the league title! Arsenal have not really challenged for a title since Vieira was wearing the #4 strip and patrolling the midfield. Yet, Arsenal have consistently made the Champions League. So every season Arsenal have been able to enjoy the fruits of making the Champions League...but have not needed to do the necessary to secure a Champions' title within their own league! How is that good for the game?

So close for the Gunners in Paris...

The current format allows clubs in large leagues - England, Spain, Germany, Italy and to some extent France - to target a top 3 or 4 finish and be content. It has made the domestic league an exercise in qualification for the Champions League...rather than a chase for a title. Once this glut of "non" Champion teams make the tournament we are then forced to endure a group stage where games rapidly mean nothing to the standing and who gets through....yet we must suffer through those games.

I realize we cannot unring this bell, but I would argue that we must cut down the teams in the Champions League. Go back to teams that have WON their league. Bring back the Cup of Cups and the UEFA Cup. Go back to home/away elimination games, let us make the games count immediately. I am sure that, what UEFA cares about, the money will continue to flow with big games right from the start, across all three cups. I realize this will not happen...but one can always dream. Plus it might make Arsenal spend some money for once.

Ligue 1 in jeopardy

Baring a huge miracle tonight, it appears that France's UEFA coefficient will sentence teams from Ligue 1 to drop in the Champions League. Meaning the third team in will have another round of games to qualify for the competition. Portugal looks likely to gain in the coefficient race. A large part of this is the fact French teams have done miserably in the Europa League, while teams from Portugal and the likes have done well (Porto holds the title currently). The two teams from France this season could not even get out of the group stages! Losing to the likes of Red Bull Salzbourg.

What is shocking to me, is that clubs from Portugal and even Ukraine have a better run in Europe than those from Ligue 1. The argument that France does not hold on to its best players is also moot since Portuguese teams are always being poached for both their players and coaches! France, similar to Portugal, has become a gate way league - Brazilians via Portugal and African players via France. So why are the French sides in such trouble when it comes to Europe? Being able to consistently place teams into the 1/4 finals of both the Champions League and Europa League should be a priority for Ligue 1, instead it appears to be an unintended consequence when it occurs.

French teams will continue to lose their players if they cannot offer European football. They have been warned.

Arsenal - net sellers once again? Next stop Europa League?

So it appears that once again, Arsenal will end up being in the black after the transfer window closes...meaning they will be a net seller. Good? Bad? Typical?? Here is what it might look like:

• Purchase Gervinho from LOSC for 11m pounds. Great another winger! Maybe we should look to getting a true #9 instead...
• Oh Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at 12m pounds, great, the next wonder kid English winger...he isn't even 18 yet...guess we will have to wait for that impact on the first team.
• Sell Clichy to Manchester City for 7m pounds, not a surprise that the French left back leaves, it feels as if his time had run its course at Arsenal.
• Rumor - 18m pounds for Nasri to join Clichy at ManCity...might be more if Manchester United gets serious in the bidding.
• Rumor - 35m pounds for Cesc to Barcelona, we have all been waiting for this move and I think this is the season it finally happens.
• Rumor (purchase) - Cahill at 17m pounds

So net net, 40m pounds out, close to 60m pounds in....great we made a profit! Pop the champagne! Pay down more of the debt! Put some in the player's 401ks! Buy back some outstanding shares! Fund more R&D! Invest in some PP&E!!! Oh wait that is what you would do if Arsenal were a business. But it isn't, Arsenal is a sporting and entertainment entity. Add to these rumors the likelihood that Arshavin, Bendtner and possibly Diaby/Rosicky are all shown the exit and what type of team do we have left?

Arsenal are making me very nervous with regard to  comings and goings in the transfer market. If they do lose Nasri, Arshavin and Cesc where will the creativity come from? Who will be pulling the strings in midfield? No addition of a true #9 is a concern. What about...the goalkeeping?

If Wenger and Arsenal do not take a different tact I fear the club might be relegated to competing in the Europa League in the near future.

Liverpool edge closer to the abyss

Another upset from a French side against one of Europe's heavyweights - as Lille scratch out a 1-0 victory versus the Reds from Liverpool. Now they still have to go to Anfield and find a way to protect this slim lead, however as Lyon demonstrated, the advantage of being an underdog heading away for the second leg all you need is to get a draw and you go through. Lille should also be bolstered by the fact Liverpool have apparently completely imploded - they lost to Wigan in the league and now drop the first leg to Lille. With Torres and Gerrard picking up silly cards the past few games due to acting up versus the referees - clearly there are some issues within the Anfield camp.

The seat under Rafa is getting warmer and warmer by the day.