Champions League Draw - 29th August '24 | Opponents (pg69) | Fixtures (pg128)

bobbyowenquiff said:
The new CL format looks shit with even more meaningless games in the early stages and less chance of any upsets. I can’t see what these changes bring. There should be more knock- out games.
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No one really knows until we see it in action but I’m hopeful the opposite might be so.

At the moment, we’re so good, that the downside of that is the group stages are one big yawn fest. We know we’re virtually certain to win the group before it even starts and it’s usually more or less confirmed after the first three games.

At least with this, you’ll need to keep going and win probably 7/8 games to have a chance of one of the top two seeds and the most favourable positions in the knockout out table.

Time will tell though.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
The new CL format looks shit with even more meaningless games in the early stages and less chance of any upsets. I can’t see what these changes bring. There should be more knock- out games.
Click to expand...
I always wondered why European football would want to adopt something referred to as 'the Swiss model'.
Really? Football following the Swiss route? Hmmm.
I could understand using their template for, say, skiing, or chocolate making maybe...
 
train man said:
I always wondered why European football would want to adopt something referred to as 'the Swiss model'.
Really? Football following the Swiss route? Hmmm.
I could understand using their template for, say, skiing, or chocolate making maybe...
Click to expand...
Use it for money laundering is probably the best way to go.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
The new CL format looks shit with even more meaningless games in the early stages and less chance of any upsets. I can’t see what these changes bring. There should be more knock- out games.
Click to expand...
It's more loot for the money men at Uefa. It seems there's eight games to play in the 'group stage' instead of six so that's a 33% increase where Uefa can fine clubs for kicking off late in the second half, flying a 'Fuck off, Uefa' flag, et al! The money just rolls in!
 
I started to watch the final, but my God, Clive Tyldesley and Rob Green are shit announcers. Stopped watching. Will try to pick it up again.
 
ysmsa said:
Looking forward to this, not a bad thing to revamp things every now and again. The old format had become a bit stale and we had dead rubbers at the end of the group stage.

Until players start withdrawing from shitty International shite then I'm not arsed about their complaints of too many games.

The Rags for example made themselves unavailable at the end of the season but appeared for the Cup Final.

Hopefully more game time for squad players and avoidance of promising talent having to move on to play (Palmer).

Final is in Munich btw. City v Vinnie, it could happen.
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I'm not a fan of the extra games but I think from the point of view of us fans who like our European away trips it should throw up some extra variation which would be great.
 
Gray said:
Draws for the 1st and 2nd qualifying rounds take place on the 18th and 19th of June respectively.

42 cannon fodder teams before the competition even starts to get anything like serious.
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Yep, it's the minnows that go through the "champions route" or other qualifier's based on League positions, most of these will be Pot 3 at best but more likely Pot 4 b
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
The new CL format looks shit with even more meaningless games in the early stages and less chance of any upsets. I can’t see what these changes bring. There should be more knock- out games.
Click to expand...
The idea is good, playing teams from all Pots equals more competitive games than the current group basis where you could predict the qualifiers most of the time.

I just think they've got the numbers wrong, should be 36 teams spilt into 3 groups, seeded 1, 2 and 3. 6 games v 2 different teams in each set of seeds with 8 going through and 9-24 playing a one game play off with teams 9-16 getting home advantage.

Then knock outs, only potentially one more game per team in the competition over the current format.
 
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hammocity said:
The idea is good, playing teams from all Pots equals more competitive games than the current group basis where you could predict the qualifiers most of the time.

I just think they've got the numbers wrong, should be 36 teams spilt into 3 groups, seeded 1, 2 and 3. 6 games v 2 different teams in each set of seeds with 8 going through and 9-24 playing a one game play off with teams 9-16 getting home advantage.

Then knock outs, only potentially one more game per team in the competition over the current format.
Click to expand...
Not convinced. I think the top eight will pick itself and there will be many dead games at the bottom of the big league. I agree that 3 groups would be better though.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
Not convinced. I think the top eight will pick itself and there will be many dead games at the bottom of the big league. I agree that 3 groups would be better though.
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Not sure they’ll be that many completely dead rubbers. Probably be a couple in game 8.

But with only 12 teams being eliminated, you’re going to have to go pretty deep in the qualifying before you get a game that neither side have any chance of finishing in the top 24.
 
The original European cup in 1955/56, the years that City appeared in back to back Cup Finals.

The participating clubs were selected by French football magazine L'Equipe on the basis they were representative and prestigious clubs in Europe.

  • Sporting CP (3)
  • Vörös Lobogó (2)
  • Servette (6)
  • Rot-Weiss Essen (1)
  • Djurgården (1)
  • AGF Aarhus (3)
  • Rapid Wien (1)
  • Milan (5)
  • Partizan (1)
  • Anderlecht (1)
  • Real Madrid (1)
  • Hibernian (5)
  • Gwardia Warsaw (4)
  • Reims (1)
  • PSV Eindhoven (3)
  • Saarbrücken(3)
The numbers in brackets were the positions they finished in in their various leagues in the previous season.

So only 7 of the 16 teams were actually champions of their county.

Real Madrid won the final 4-3 against Reims.

Shambles then and a shambles now, nothing has changed.
 
Gray said:
The original European cup in 1955/56, the years that City appeared in back to back Cup Finals.

The participating clubs were selected by French football magazine L'Equipe on the basis they were representative and prestigious clubs in Europe.

  • Sporting CP (3)
  • Vörös Lobogó (2)
  • Servette (6)
  • Rot-Weiss Essen (1)
  • Djurgården (1)
  • AGF Aarhus (3)
  • Rapid Wien (1)
  • Milan (5)
  • Partizan (1)
  • Anderlecht (1)
  • Real Madrid (1)
  • Hibernian (5)
  • Gwardia Warsaw (4)
  • Reims (1)
  • PSV Eindhoven (3)
  • Saarbrücken(3)
The numbers in brackets were the positions they finished in in their various leagues in the previous season.

So only 7 of the 16 teams were actually champions of their county.

Real Madrid won the final 4-3 against Reims.

Shambles then and a shambles now, nothing has changed.
Click to expand...

Don’t necessarily disagree with the sentiment but a lot of prestige competitions have very humble beginnings.

The first World Cup itself attracted virtually no interest outside of The Americas. Even the handful of European teams that were eventually coerced into competing, made the trip without many of their best players.

It’s one of the reasons I’m really hoping City can win the first real Club World Cup. I’ve a feeling that future generations will look on it as the undisputed top competition in club football.
 
Gray said:
Draws for the 1st and 2nd qualifying rounds take place on the 18th and 19th of June respectively.

42 cannon fodder teams before the competition even starts to get anything like serious.
Click to expand...
For me, the competition doesn't get serious until you get to the knockout stages. Back in the days of group stages, when 16 teams progressed, you could probably predict 15 of them ( there's always going to be one outsider who scrambles through). Copenhagen last season, as an (hilarious) example.
 
Gray said:
The original European cup in 1955/56, the years that City appeared in back to back Cup Finals.

The participating clubs were selected by French football magazine L'Equipe on the basis they were representative and prestigious clubs in Europe.

  • Sporting CP (3)
  • Vörös Lobogó (2)
  • Servette (6)
  • Rot-Weiss Essen (1)
  • Djurgården (1)
  • AGF Aarhus (3)
  • Rapid Wien (1)
  • Milan (5)
  • Partizan (1)
  • Anderlecht (1)
  • Real Madrid (1)
  • Hibernian (5)
  • Gwardia Warsaw (4)
  • Reims (1)
  • PSV Eindhoven (3)
  • Saarbrücken(3)
The numbers in brackets were the positions they finished in in their various leagues in the previous season.

So only 7 of the 16 teams were actually champions of their county.

Real Madrid won the final 4-3 against Reims.

Shambles then and a shambles now, nothing has changed.
Click to expand...
That's very interesting info , I thought it was only the fairs cup that was by invitation only
 
Stephen230 said:
Don’t necessarily disagree with the sentiment but a lot of prestige competitions have very humble beginnings.

The first World Cup itself attracted virtually no interest outside of The Americas. Even the handful of European teams that were eventually coerced into competing, made the trip without many of their best players.

It’s one of the reasons I’m really hoping City can win the first real Club World Cup. I’ve a feeling that future generations will look on it as the undisputed top competition in club football.
Click to expand...
Masters is now trying his best to scupper the new CWC cos his paymasters arnt in it
 
The next 10 CL winners, according to Chat GPT.........





I mean; seriously? EVERTON??????????

As for us winning 6 out of the next 10? Nah; I'd be delirious with 3 or 4.
 
jimharri said:
The next 10 CL winners, according to Chat GPT.........





I mean; seriously? EVERTON??????????

As for us winning 6 out of the next 10? Nah; I'd be delirious with 3 or 4.
Click to expand...

6 out of the next 10 ???
Not a fucking chance, we've only won it fucking once, ever.
 
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