Why the Champions League?

[chakka35]

Why is the European Cup called the Champions League - a double misnomer?

It is not just for champions: we have four English teams in the quarter-finals at the moment, only one of which was last year's Champion.

It is not a league, a contest in which all competitors form a table with points deciding their places. It is a knock-out tournament.

European Cup is the right name. Who changed it?

[Dudley]

It was originally only for the respective League champions of each country but was gradually expanded until the present cumbersome format. It is all about generating money. .

[mark01]

who changed it? - the Money Men!

[123everton]

It was created to stave off the threat of a European super league.
I preferred the old knockout system over 2 legs with only champions competing too.

[paraffin]

123everton:
Yes, I agree with your view that it should revert to the old format because as it stands at the moment your team might not lose a game in its group but still fail to qualify for the last 16.

And I do believe that it "cheapens" the competition by allowing non champions to compete. After all, there are enough leagues throughout Europe to come up with enough teams for it to be competitive enough.

Personally I get bored to the back teeth seeing the same teams year in, year out. It'd be great to see some "new faces" in the competition if only in the early rounds.

And, who knows, we might even get a few upsets using the old system - great!

[123everton]

What galls me is you can get beat 4 nil away and then you could get beat 4 nil at home in the return leg and still qualify.

[mariner2]

Strange how it used to be called the European Cup when it was only for champions and now it's called the champion's league, when it's not!

[mariner2]

If they just called it the European cup, we wouldn't get these POINTLESS arguments about "it should be champions only".
It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN when there's money to be made, same with the play-offs, so an end to it please.

[paraffin]

One of the biggest problems is the fact that, for example, there are several "elite" clubs in England nowadays who can obviously afford to pay top bucks for the best players, and everyone else is only making up the numbers.

So, as long as they keep letting several clubs from the same country enter, and there are others besides England, you will have champions from so-called lesser footballing nations at a massive disadvantage before a ball is even kicked.

It's as bad nowadays in England as it always has been in Scotland where only the Old Firm win the SPL.

Who else in England in the forseeable future outside of Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal can compete? Perhaps Man City now that they've got "oil money" but how long will that last?

[chakka35]

Al - al-alright, M-mm-mariner 2. I'm easily intimidated, so I won't ask about it any more. S-s-s-sorry to have annoyed you. W-w-won't do it again. P-p-promise.