Has the Champions League lost its magic

I'm just re-iterating what other people have said, it lost a lot when Non champions became involved, as for myself not much about it excites me anymore, I can take it or leave it, yes even the final
 
I don't watch it.
I didn't watch Rangers in it last time round.
It's been too difficult for clubs from poorer leagues to access for years.
I hoped the European Super League would remove those clubs from the Champions League and keeper and kind of reboot it.
 
It’s the same nucleus of clubs that get the latter stages every year, so in that sense yes it is a bit stale.

I was in the minority but I wanted that Super League to go ahead, if these super rich clubs wanted to go away and play glamour ties every week they should have been allowed to.

It would have made the rest of European football more competitive or at least would have gave teams who don’t have inconceivable amounts of money an opportunity on that stage.

Wonder who Madrid will have in the final this year, Man City probably?
 
The 'Champions League' name should be ditched next season when the new format comes in. It is the Super League in all but name from next season.
 
Don't really bother with it unless Rangers are playing in it. It's a Super League in all but name, even before the changes to the format coming in next year (if they're still scheduled); a competition for rich clubs in which only a handful are viable contenders to win it.
 
Competitiveness has been squeezed out & the new format ensures it goes even further.

It’s sad that our desire to get in is simply for the financial rewards.

UEFA have destroyed it for genuine fans. It’s all for the tv contracts.

I support those clubs leaving for their Super League.
 
I like the qualifiers and the Group stages and at a push the last 16 but once the usual suspects have taken over I don't bother with it. The Europa and Conference league are my preference for watching due to the difference in teams you can see in them. But I've never really been one for watching your Barca's, Real, PSG, and the likes.

I've going to 3 matches Germany next week:
Babelsberg v Zickau
Chemie Leipzig v Luckenwalde
BFC Dynamo v Greifswald

That's my wheelhouse :D
 
GovanFront4 said:
That argument simply falls apart though. Would you watch champions of minnow countries play each other?
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I’d much rather watch a competition filled with champions than perennial 4th place teams who haven’t won a trophy in years.

I’d also much rather watch the champions of say Denmarkmplay the champions of France in the hope that there would be an upset. The FA Cup is loved the world over for that very reason. It’s the reason why so many tuned in to watch Darvel vs Aberdeen. The chance of the underdog winning a major trophy is far more appealing that watching PSV play Man City again, or any of the other permutations involving the same teams, year in, year out.
 
The group stages are now often a procession for the big teams to get through in second gear. The last few years have continued to produce sensational knockout games though.
 
Posted on previous threads ,needs to go back to the old proper european cup ,countries champions only,no seeds,open draw and if two big giants draw each other early doors,so be it.
Resurrect the old cup winners cup as well,with same format as previous.
 
Super-Swally said:
Let's take it back to when only the champions of each league qualified for the top European trophy.

But as we all know, the cartel of top clubs and the money men would never allow it.
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It all comes down to that mate. All the rest are allowed some leftovers.
 
gr1688 said:
I'm just re-iterating what other people have said, it lost a lot when Non champions became involved, as for myself not much about it excites me anymore, I can take it or leave it, yes even the final
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I have a wedding on the night of the final and I'm not bothered about missing it. Would still like the underdog to win though, but very much doubt it.
 
It’s still a big draw.

For example, no English teams in the semis, yet we were told that that would dominate for years.

However, huge clubs now only want to play other huge clubs, and this will tighten over the next few years, and the champions of Scotland & other small nations will get nowhere near it.
 
blue genes said:
It’s still a big draw.

For example, no English teams in the semis, yet we were told that that would dominate for years.

However, huge clubs now only want to play other huge clubs, and this will tighten over the next few years, and the champions of Scotland & other small nations will get nowhere near it.
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We haven’t been near it since 1992 mate, so that’s not dramatic change of recent times.

But I get your point in that it will just get worse and the gaps will get bigger.

Football is at or will reach a cross roads where these owners will have to admit that their goal is to have an NFL type franchise : set up and piss of to Saudi with the branding
 
Joekerr said:
Should be called European super league because that's what it actually is now.
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And why not?Think that's why it was rebranded.It is the European League in a shorter format.Proves you're the best in Europe.
We have domestic league divisions too remember.
 
KingCarlos72 said:
We haven’t been near it since 1992 mate, so that’s not dramatic change of recent times.

But I get your point in that it will just get worse and the gaps will get bigger.

Football is at or will reach a cross roads where these owners will have to admit that their goal is to have an NFL type franchise : set up and piss of to Saudi with the branding
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1992 was memorable, but I have to admit I didn't expect it to go the way it did. For me two teams from the same country in the final, takes the whole spirit of the competition away.
 
Arab said:
apart from us, is there other game or team you go out of your way to watch nowadays ?
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I don't go out my way to watch other teams, I watched Real/Bayern tonight because I was sitting in the house with nothing to do. Enjoyed it.
 
Sonsofwilliam1989 said:
https://onefootball.com/editorial/39035092?language=en

Article from The Independent on how the Champions League is starting to get boring
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Lost is Lustre years ago when it became about money and NOT about the Countries Champions. It ended right there. England were banned, rightly so and when they returned it all seemed to start changing ever so slightly as every season passed. Money men bought up the English clubs and a cancer was born. It's now just an Elitist competition, the very antithesis of what the working man's game represented
 
Said it at the start of the thread. Same team as always looks like they're going to win it.

But f***, the quality at this level and entertainment is beyond belief.
 
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Last night I watched the first half of PSG v Dortmund and the second half of Bolton v Barnsley. The Bolton v Barnsley game was better entertainment by far.
 
I don’t think it’s just the Champions League. Top level football is being divied up between more and more media operators causing fans to have to pay more and more subscriptions. Most either can’t pay or won’t pay. Once you get used to not watching all football you risk losing interest.
 
It lost it’s magic a long time ago when it started allowing non-champions entry. No chance of a fairytale when it became a closed shop
 
bad boy boogie said:
Posted on previous threads ,needs to go back to the old proper european cup ,countries champions only,no seeds,open draw and if two big giants draw each other early doors,so be it.
Resurrect the old cup winners cup as well,with same format as previous.
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Aye cause people will be queuing up to watch Ludogorets v RB Salzburg in a CL knockout tie
 
Was probably the most entertained I’ve been in a short while watching football earlier. You always see these threads appear and I just don’t understand what’s not to like about watching players like Vinicius in particular.
 
Neilston Unionist said:
Was probably the most entertained I’ve been in a short while watching football earlier. You always see these threads appear and I just don’t understand what’s not to like about watching players like Vinicius in particular.
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He should be the next winner of the Balon D’or. Sensational player.

Going to be really interesting to see how they fit him and Mbappe into the same team.
 
WinkieWATP said:
He should be the next winner of the Balon D’or. Sensational player.

Going to be really interesting to see how they fit him and Mbappe into the same team.
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It’s great to see there’s still footballers with entertainment as part of their game also. There’s not many like him about these days at all. He’s got the athleticism, the flair and the ability along with the right attitude. Feel like most footballers are just athletes now.

As good as Mbappe is there should be no way that he displaces Vini from his position in my opinion, guy is a huge reason that Real Madrid team has dominated Europe for years now, if they go onto win it yet again it would be crazy to upset that formula for anyone.

If they can find a way to make Mbappe through the middle work it would be an utterly terrifying prospect but the times I’ve seen him play there he doesn’t seem to be as effective.
 
it's better than ever as far as I'm concerned. would be magic if Dortmund could do it but it'll probably be Real
 
Ten Ton Tony said:
Aye cause people will be queuing up to watch Ludogorets v RB Salzburg in a CL knockout tie
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Once they have access to the money that comes with consistent CL football they might be able to retain their better players. Even better if the money is distributed in a way that benefits the qualifying team but also strengthens the League overall similar to how the Dutch do it.
 
Football has reached saturation point. The CL/European Cup used to be really exciting because you were up against teams you really knew very little about. The footballing styles were different across different countries.
Now its the same formations and styles against one and other. The teams with the biggest budget aka the best players will execute the same game style better and therefore win or progress. Hence its really boring.
People of a vintage old enough will remember the CL's of the early 90's and seeing teams like the young Ajax come through in 94/95 as an absolute joy. Football that was very different to what we saw in Scotland or Britain. Romario at Barca and Cruyff's total football being out muscled by Capello's Milan in 93/94. Just different styles going head to head. Now its same vs same. Its a bore fest.
 
The best the small teams could hope for was getting into.the group stages to get some of the outrageous money , but beyond that there is little hope of achieving anything for them.
 
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