Liverpool and Tottenham meet at Anfield on Saturday in the battle for 5th place, where victory for the home side will guarantee participation in the 2011/12 Europa League. Tottenham could also boost their prospects with a victory that would lift them above Liverpool before heading into the last weekend of the season.
It could be argued, however, that neither team would celebrate this achievement. Victory will be rewarded with trips to the deepest, darkest parts of Eastern Europe, often playing in freezing conditions. Also, the route from group stage to final takes fourteen matches. That is fourteen additional fixtures both clubs could do without as they chase a place in the top four next year.
For Liverpool, they hope to continue their remarkable improvement under Kenny Dalglish. ‘King Kenny’ has transformed the club to such an extent that Liverpool fans are left wondering what might have been had he been in charge earlier. If a long campaign in the Europa League is the price for his permanent contract then it will be seen as worth paying by the Anfield faithful.
For Tottenham, their successful debut campaign in the Champions League has served only to whet the appetite for repeat participation. One season without the distraction of Europa League football may be seen as necessary if it results in regaining a top-four spot next season.
So what is it about the Europa league that is such a turn-off to clubs and fans alike? The fact is that it is a second rate competition – a booby prize, the silver plate that the runner-up at Wimbledon wants to sling into the crowd. It is a competition barely visible under the huge shadow of the Champions League. It is a sideshow to the main event, and is treated as such by the clubs who, as Harry Redknapp recently said, “Once they’re in it….can’t wait to get out”.
The biggest flaw about the Europa League, put simply, is that it’s not the Champions League. It doesn’t have the glamour of the Champions League. It doesn’t have the rousing music at the beginning of matches. It doesn’t have Adrian Chiles (OK that could be seen as a positive), or Sky Sports’ magical red button.
The Europa League has channel 5 and Pat Nevin watching TV monitors in the back of a van, trying his best to analyse something the viewers missed while they were off watching paint dry, or wondering whether he is ever allowed to leave that van. Each week I like to speculate whether he has managed to successfully chew through his own leg, and made good his escape.
Also, the competition is held on a Thursday, up there with Friday as the most non-traditional football day of the week. Let’s be honest post Tuesday/Wednesday we’re all looking more to the weekend’s matches anyway. Holding the competition after the Champions league is like eating your starter after the main course and detracts further from the quality of football on display.
However this is most likely to only be the view of clubs who have a realistic chance of a top four finish, and does not represent how all clubs feel about the Europa League. Stoke City will be looking forward to participation in the competition next season, their first European jaunt since the 1974/75 season, and I’m sure Portsmouth fans enjoyed their adventures two seasons ago, playing AC Milan amongst others at Fratton Park.
For the top clubs, however, the Europa league has become more of a distraction when they would prefer to focus on Premier League results, and Champions League participation. The winners on Saturday may come to regret that victory next season.
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Rubbish. The Europa League was used by Liverpool as a means of playing many reserve players, and introducing the youth. It can give good experience to these players, and keep them match fit.
liverpool are shit, stop think thinking they are still good. they will get relegated in a few seasons
Every statement made by the Liverpool players and management has said that they WANT the 5th spot AND to play in the Europa League.
Also I don’t hear any arguements from the clubs who get knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and then enter the Europa League.
Ultimately, a clubs success is measured by the number of trophies it WINS not the number of times it enters a particular compitition.
UEFA should go back to the old cup winners competition, Less competitors equals less games and a more prestigious competition. Then they could keep the Europa for the also rans but it would mean less games for the teams involved but importantly it should be a knock out from the start.
I’d go further than Bill. Stop using it as a dumping ground for Champion’s League failures, allow only league position as a qualification criteria and only two qualifying rounds. Get rid of the group stage and use a two leg knockout format until a one-off final.
Also limit CL places to three per country, thereby increasing the quality of the teams going into the Europa and move it back to a Tuesday night competition.
…most importantly, the winner should be rewarded s place in the group stages in the next year Champions League.