Not all Champions League ‘winners’ take the trophy home in May. In 2009 Michel Platini, in his wisdom, decided that there were not enough champions in the Champions League, as a result of well-resourced also-rans from the large leagues crowding out table-toppers from the small leagues. The competition format was changed, champions from smaller nations would compete against each other.
The result of the change is that five champions from smaller leagues are guaranteed entry into the tournament. Conversely, runners up from the smaller leagues need to fight it out against non-champions from the big leagues, like Arsenal and Manchester United. The concern expressed at the time was that the flood of money gained by champions from the small countries would impact their leagues. ‘Good’, said a few of us.
Champions League money can double the income some clubs earn in a year. Successful Champions League entrants’ ability to compete would be greatly enhanced, perhaps meaning they jump into a virtuous circle, strengthening and qualifying in subsequent years.
There have been 30 places up for grabs in the champions route since, but the qualification performance stats isn’t what was expected by many. 22 teams have qualified but only six have done so more than once. Two, BATE Borisov and APOEL Nicosia, are the only teams to go one step better and qualify three times. Curiously, only BATE and Celtic have qualified in back to back seasons, no one has managed three in a row.
For all the riches the Champions League brings to Celtic, and teams far more impoverished than them, successful teams seem to encounter the classic Nouveau Riche problem. All this money and they don’t know how best to invest it in order to make sure they get another payday.
Qualification itself is not costless in competitive terms. It’s likely each team who punches through the barrier to reach the Promised Land, has to suffer the cost of exertion and distraction, which the visits of Europe’s aristocracy inevitably brings.
Then there’s the question of what to do with the money. Your best players get a shop window, encouraging them to run down their contracts. Your manager is likely to be off too. You have to find candidates further down the food chain, either in a lesser-still league, or at a club in your own land who are prepared to sell to you. And remember, this New Money is in the hands of people largely unaccustomed to spending at that level. You can afford to sign a €3m player, but the most expensive player you’ve previously worked with cost €200k. Those who can spot a great €200k player are not necessarily experienced enough to spend €3m wisely.
APOEL Nicosia and BATE Borisov have managed what the other 20 teams have struggled to replicate. Both are in this season’s play-offs and are favourites to go one stage further again. If BATE achieve this, they will have been group stage entrants four seasons out of five, so sustainable success not impossible.
Last week produced signs that eventually the cream is rising to the top. Eight of the 10 clubs in this season’s play-offs have reached the group stage through the champions route before, with the other two, Astana (v APOEL) and Albania’s Skenderbeu (v Dinamo Zagreb) odds against making it. For the first time it’s likely all five champions’ qualifiers will former graduates. The current highest number to qualify in one season is two.
So although the 30 places have been filled by 22 clubs from a remarkably diverse 17 countries, the pool of genuine competitors is approaching a limit.
Here’s the challenge, for Celtic and the rest. Your Champions League is a distinct competition to the headline grabbing tournament graced by Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Yours is being won by BATE Borisov. They are the team who have figured out what’s needed to come through this summer test with most consistency.
There are five places up for grabs. BATE and APOEL are doing their best to make sure their names are against two of those places. Celtic can grab another slot, but Malmo, Basel and Salzburg, as well as the Czechs, Israelis, Danes, Poles and other Eastern European teams, want their piece of the action too. A win against Malmo would go a long way towards flipping resources in Celtic’s favour, but whatever the outcome, being better than the rest of this geographically diverse group of small-nation clubs should be our immediate target.
Happy Birthday 50th to the Celtic View, the world’s first football club newspaper. Congratulations to the many who have contributed to the View over the years.
Can’t believe the news coverage John Collins comment has received. When he heard Derek McInnes’ backlash (cough) he must have looked around for a dressing room full of Hibs players.
594 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
Ciftci is in a no win situation here, at the moment he can only play in Europe and as JC said we get tested more there, and it’s true we do same as every other team who leave their domestic league, so he can’t be judged right now, but let’s see when he is unleashed in the SPFL if he can do the business, and in my opinion he will,.
Then and only then we will see if he can do the both, there are not many players who play in European games, and not domestic games, in fact did the all time SPL top goal scorer get left out of the cardigans team when they played in Europe as he couldent cut the mustard with the big boys, another thing that backs up what JC said its a different game entirely, but we all knew that right? Oh! And that player was Boydyachenko.
channelislandcelt on 12th August 2015 11:08 am
All good mate, you over for a bit? Or is he over there?I was with him on Sunday he never said, and I was talking with Shannon yesterday, and he said they got mad wi it at the Monday Club with jj, lol.
tonydonnelly67
Agree on all points. My point regarding the centre forward position is play the player in form. Chopping and changing is not working we really need a goal or two to take to Sweden.
The players in goal scoring form should play. I still fancy a look at Griff & Ciftci up front though. I would be happy with that against Malmo at home.
LB
THEBARCAMOLE
I’m still trying to figure out who said it!
Solentdave,
Tiny Tim of these parts offered a ticket on here yesterday. Not sure if he’s shifted jt yet though.
He posted his number along with it
HH
Robbie Neilson on John Collins
https://mobile.twitter.com/mattleslie74/status/631227063349944321?p=v
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 12th August 2015 11:26 am THEBARCAMOLE
I’m still trying to figure out who said it!
============
The cardigan?
Seen on twitter and think it nails it,
sweary word alert :))
https://davidfarrellfaz.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/the-truth-the-whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth/
till later all.
Ger57: The upload failed. I was told it would take about three hours and left the laptop running. Sixteen hour later it was”still working on it”. I stopped it and will leave it a few weeks as suggested by another poster.
LiviBhoy
I to would like to see them both as a spearhead, be frightening actually, I was listening to Griffiths being interviewed on the radio last night, my oh my, amazing what a new person he sounds, any one listen to it? Sounded like a totally diff. Player, someone’s doing a good job at Celtic Park, oh and while I’m on the Celtic Park, I wish Celtic supporters would use the name of our park more, no disrespect to Parkhead, I know it’s a little thing, but I say Celtic Park all the time, Huns hate it with a passion, and the SMSM, so let’s give our stadium its name back, Celtic Park is wher my team plays, Parkhead is where my Aunty stays.
tonydonnelly67
I’m a Celtic Park or Paradise man myself.
Never been keen on saying Parkhead. Dunno why?
LB
Chavez,
I see your point but the media in this country need challenged and scrutinised if they deliberately attack
a member of our staff.
They also are deserving of ridicule when they report such nonsense and it’s always a delight to see The Clumpany in particular point out their bias and inadequacy on an almost daily basis! More power to him and others in my opinion.
LiviBhoy
Paradise is good, zombies hate that too.
Lurking Huns GIRFUYs.
I would highlight the inaccuracy of the media in here as others do in other Celtic blogs, but I wouldent go after them in public, I wouldent give the b,.,.,.s the oxygen because that’s what the agenda is, they like RFC (who died) are dying and they know it, Sevco and the BBC having a fall out was a load of tosh, all that was, was to keep thems in the headlines, ffs the BBC haven’t stopped talking about them since it.
Watched the highlights of the Dundee derby – very entertaining and no shortage of skill from one or two individuals.
One thing we should remember in the context of European failure is that other Scottish sides – with far less resources than Celtic – are often facing teams from similar standard leagues who are already part way into their season with a lot more match fitness.
If there is a need or desire for other Scottish sides to perform better in the Europa qualifying stages, then summer football is a must in my opinion.
huntlybhoy86
I get the just of your point.
What I suggested earlier was that we invite these people into our stadium for press conferences.
They are INVITED into OUR stadium.
They need to be taken to task. Just a quick couple of statements.
X you spoke to Y about JC and got this article with the headline Z.
You wrote article A with headline B a few years ago.
Care to explain why what our coach said in one sentence was worse than your article(s)
I actually think the article written by Davie Farrell is excellent. I think I will pick up his book when it comes out. He seems to have a good manner about him and a way of constructing his words that I will enjoy reading.
LB
THEBARCAMOLE @ 11:14,
Yes, know I went off on a tangential point but you are spot on. It’s agenda driven, to such a point Scottish Football is missing the Elephant in the room.
TIMALOY29 @ 11:10, makes the point, Scottish Football supporters need to get a bit less anti-Celtic and a bit more pro Hearts, Dundee United, Aberdeen or whichever Club they support.
A while back I posted a comment regarding the Broadfoot, McClean affair, I wanted to check something out and googled a phrase. It took me to a Hearts Forum, they were discussing the incident.
It was all about the ugly sisters Celtic and Rangers and what a disgrace we are. What on earth had that got to go with us?
It was a Scotsman who never played for us, being racist to an Irishman who never played for us, playing in a game in England, dealt with by the FA.
They really need some perspective.
…… Yes BMCUW, it was Walter Smith before the new old new firm match. His point quite simple really.
No team in Scotland outside Celtic can compete in Europe, no Scottish team can effectively challenge Celtic so ergo… Wait for it….
Scottish Football needs a strong Rangers.
Can’t believe you forgot the indignation, disgust and resentment this outrageous and contemptible statement caused. Or not, as the case me be….
Hail Hail
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 12th August 2015 11:26 am
THEBARCAMOLE
I’m still trying to figure out who said it!
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/celtics-real-champions-league-competition/comment-page-13/#comment-2650867………………..
Difficult to confirm who said it, as the guy in question apparently doesn’t have a surname!
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
Ciftci with Griffiths definitely seems like it would work as a two. For the 1st leg i think we have to stick with 1 up top though. Armstrong and Mackay Steven have both done great defensive work – especially at home against Qarabag. I think Ronnie’s beginning to see how far a bit of pragmatism can take us compared to last season. I’d love to think we could go and throw the kitchen sink at them early on and kill the tie, sure he would take another 1-0 though if offered now. With the system as it is sometimes all we’ve needed is to cut out the extra two passes on the edge of the box when someone could have been laid in much earlier. I’d start Griffiths at home just to try and stretch them a bit more and give Joe Hansen some more space to operate.
new article posted.
morning Celts
can someone post the link/Utube clip to what John Collins said?
Emdi got Almores e-mail? ta
HH
I have always called our home Celtic Park.
…because that’s its name.
HH!!
@Chairbhoy
Totally agree about the fans of other clubs.
Look at their forums and you will regularly see comments from their fans claiming that the “West of Scotland press” and the “Glasgow FA” will give Celtic favorable treatment.
Anybody who has followed Celtic knows themselves that we have a hostile press and a governing body that hands out special treatment to only one club (technically two)
But the rest of Scotland see us as two sides of the same coin and utterly complicit with them in all their actions. This is actually a victory for the “West of Scotland press” and also goes back to the SPL TV deals where we stood shoulder to shoulder with Rangers (IL) against the rest.
I suppose it was similar to Miliband appearing alongside the toxic Clegg and Cameron in a Better Together rally. Guilt by association.
Heavyweight German coach backs Warburton over Dean set piece criticism:
https://raillydecord.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/german-visionary-klomp-backs-warbs-over-dean-set-piece-slur/