villa-revolution Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 "The Champions League? You're having a Laugh! The Champions League? Your having a Laugh!" Well, No. Actually I'm not. Apparently UEFA are confirming tomorrow that as of 2015 the team that wins the Europa League will be granted automatic qualification into the following seasons Champions League. Not only does this supply a massive incentive for all those competing in that seasons Europa League Competition but it also instantly raises the profile & importance of our own domestic Cup competitions the league Cup & the F A cup because they provide a route into the Europa League. Sometimes you can even qualify for the Europa League too without actually winning the final itself because chances are your opponent has already qualified for the Champions League through having already finished in the top 4 of the Premiership. Paul Lambert's Aston Villa project is currently in it's embryonic stages & qualifying directly for a Champions League spot via a top 4 Premiership finish in the next couple of seasons is possibly a shade optimistic though ofcourse not impossible. (With Aston Villa all things are possible) However, a top 6 finish or a domestic Cup success as described/ outlined above in 2 years time suggests that tomorrows eagerly awaited announcement surely means that Aston Villa Champions League 2016 is definitely not out of the question & therefore a more than realistic possibility. Sounds good to me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradarmstrong_ Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Pour me one of whatever you've been drinking. Ta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 The Europa league will finally have some importance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supernova26 Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 What if both Europa finalists have already qualified for the Champions League like erm, Benfica and Chelsea for example? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfTimePost Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) This is going to go one of two ways, or both. 1) The clubs like Everton, Us, Newcastle that are big enough to challenge for 5th/6th will start taking it more seriously. Currently it's a 'we cant get into the Champions League' and thats that. CL is all footballers care about and where the money is. Would be great to get into Europa now and essentially have a back-door into the Champions League. 2) Champions League also-rans that get dumped into the Europa start relying on the Europa League to secure them Champions League football if their domestic seasons aren't going well. Spurs, Arsenal I'm looking at you. It should, at least make the Europa League relevant though. If we can get into a position to enter the Europa for 2015 that would be cracking but Im not sure I can quite see it. Edited May 23, 2013 by HalfTimePost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 This might have seen us play the first team against CSKA 4 years ago but to qualify and then to go on to win the Europa Cup seems a long way off for us at present. But if Randy was prepared to spend to try to gain CLs qualification back then it might be a reason for him to back the manager a little in the next couple of years in the hope that we could win a cup and then another...(it is another nice chilled Cobra I am sinking as I write this by the way bradarmstrong.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Con Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 What if both Europa finalists have already qualified for the Champions League like erm, Benfica and Chelsea for example? Raffle it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa-revolution Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 Just digesting the initial posts ( with lashings of John's Cobra thrown in ofcourse) it seems apparent to me that the domestic Cups will now become more difficult to win because more teams will field stronger sides with the prospective carrot of the Champions League football dangling before them. Does this effectively mean that the F A Cup will be propelled back into vogue again & therefore teams like Wigan who have benefited from playing weakened opposition are now highly unlikely to ever win it again? Surely too, more competitive domestic Cup competitions can only be good & healthy for football in general & the same dispensation must also apply across the whole of Europe too. I think most Villa fans live to see the day the FA Cup resides in it's true home of B6 because let's be honest it is "Our Cup". That said I would also like to see the FA make a bold decision & allow the FA Cup winners to also qualify for The Champions League ahead of the team that finishes 4th in the Premier League.(Don't know what other posters think about this?) Anyway, the bottom line is that the potential for Champions League football at Villa Park in 2016 now has real potential & I'm sure John is now raising his 7th Gallon glass of chilled Cobra & deliriously stating, "I'll drink to that!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabby Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 I have been saying for years they should do this .the winner of the Europa league it more of a ''champion'' than a team finishing 4th in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstonMartin82 Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 That chant simply doesn't work with "the" in it. One too many syllables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Agree with this. Good move Just need to change the Europa League comp now to a straight FA cup style knock out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Agree with this. Good move Just need to change the Europa League comp now to a straight FA cup style knock out Yup thats a good call CI .. would surely have to keep the home & away aggregate scores thing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 The Europa league could be a brilliant competition as a straight knock out stylee and certainly a good counter to the dull early stages of the champions league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS-T Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 We must be the biggest club who are yet to play in the Champions League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Get an easy route to the FA Cup Final and lose to United - in the Europa League. Get an easy route to the Europa League Final and lose to a team already in the Champions League - we're in the Champions League. Only Villa could do it in such a depressing way too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosenthal Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 What if both Europa finalists have already qualified for the Champions League like erm, Benfica and Chelsea for example? I asumed there only will be an Champions League spot given if the winners aren't already qualified through their domestic league. Same rule as in the Champions League. Don't think England will be given an extra spot if one of the top 4 placed teams win the Europa League. CL spot won't drop down to 5th placed team in the Premier League, but there might be 5 teams qualified if Europa League winner is an English team outside of the top 4 in the PL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers13 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 If Lambert stays, I wouldn't be stunned to see a top four finish in the league, without having to rely on the Europa League. Not likely, but with him, anything's possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raver50032 Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 They need to stop polluting the Europa League with Champions League early exiters/failures. Such corruption. If you've shit yourself at Europe, that should be it. You're out. Chelsea spawned their way to ECL glory last time - no way should they have won that match. John Terry nonced his way falsely into all of the post match pictures creating the illusion that he played in the game. Chelsea shit themselves out of the ECL again this season, and nonced their way to victory in a tournament for which they didn't actually qualify. And John Terry nonced his way falsely into the post match pictures, creating the illusion that he had played in the game. Anyway, I digress. I would agree, we are the biggest club in England so far not to have enjoyed ECL football - despite having finished both 2nd and 4th during the Premier League days. Victims of changing goalposts and favourable coverage of the 'top teams.' We have to beat teams like Bradford if we want to even clear the first hurdle on our roadmap to renewed European glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Nice rant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 This topic would probably be better placed in "Other Football" since at the moment any link between Aston Villa and the Europa League is in the realms of dreamland. Can't imagine that defence flourishing against European high fliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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