Poll: Do You Like the New Champions League “Two Paths” System?

By: Daryl | July 17th, 2009

The UEFA Champions League got going again this week. Not the moneytastic Champions League group stage we all know and love, but the less heralded qualifying rounds.

With 22 teams already qualified for the group stage, there are ten spots still to play for. But this year UEFA is doing things a little differently, and ensuring that at least five of those ten teams are national champions from smaller leagues (as opposed to runners up from bigger leagues).

Rob has a more detailed explanation on Champions League Offside (plus the draw) but basically the qualifying round is now made up of two streams, or pools, or (to use the UEFA approved analogy) paths.

There’s the Champions Path for teams that won the national league title (eg Bohemians FC of Ireland) and the Best Placed Path for teams who finished second/third/fourth/whatever in a stronger league (eg Arsenal).

The two paths never cross, and so five teams from the Champions Path will make the Champions League group stage, while five teams from the Best Placed Path will also make the Champions League group stage.

The end result is a Champions League with less “big” teams, but more actual league champions from smaller footballing nations.

So, my poll question is: Is this a good thing? Or would you prefer to see a Champions League full of more glamorous teams? It’s one thing to say more smaller teams is a good thing, but will you feel the same when you have to actually watch the group stages?

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Category: Champions League

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JC

in this 2 path system, is there a rule that 2 clubs from the same league can't meet each other during the qualifying rounds?
Paddy

How on earth would you not be happy if Bohs get through to the Champions League?
David

For the big clubs if they want to ensure champs. League then they should finish in the top two in their league. Hopefully now this will break up the stranglehold that certain teams have in there respective leagues.
Jose

Look at how the money is going to be distributed: first it means that you'll have less of the same top league runner ups (Arsenals) repeating the Champion's League every year, so they won't be able to depend on that income, year in year out.

However, since there are more leagues being represented in the group stage, you'll also have small league champions (the champions of Kazakstan, for example) that will get LOADS more money than their competitors. This also means that you could essentially be helping the top teams in lesser leagues cement their advantage over their league-mates.

Essentially, this move could improve parity ACROSS leagues and hurt parity WITHIN leagues. :(
Matt

I think this will create even less parity when it comes to the knockout stage. Yes, more parity will be seen in the group stages. However, if there are more small fish for the Man U's, Barca's, etc to beat up on. (I hate to pick on Bohs, mentioning them twice in two posts) But who do you think is going to give a better fight to Man U? Bohs or Lyon?
ReleaseTheKrasic

I think its a good idea for a number of reasons.
1, it allows for unrecognized teams a fighting chance in the later parts of the champs league. This also creates more exposure and money towards those teams which always is a good thing.
2, honestly, who isnt getting sick of seeing the same teams make the knockout rounds. Assuming your favorite team gets knocked out, does it not frustrate you when you see teams that constantly make the knockout stages play eachother? I does for me.
3, sometimes rooting for the underdogs is a good thing. I think it adds a new level of excitement and again fosters further exposure for those teams.
4, inevitably class wins. Even with this "new" system, the chances of seeing the top european clubs make it to the knockout stages is very high.
5. Give the minnows a chance for christ sake!
Matt

Really really stupid. Would you rather see Bohs in the CL or Celtic, Lyon, Arsenal, Stuttgart?
Eduard

this isn't for real is it? Better teams deserve to by in the further stages, right?