2025-26 UEFA Champions League - See Mod Note Post 1

Maybe you should try some yourself 😉

It sounds like he doesn't like any private funding at all. Or maybe I've misread.

I'm not sure what model he likes. One that's probably totally unrealistic for a top team.

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to hear.

I would say that super league thing would work if there was a promotion or relegation type thing based on coefficients changing every couple of years. It was mainly the fact that it was going to be a closed shop that sent fans of the non-elite in a fuss.

I was thinking over the last 25-30 plus years what teams did I “adopt” to shout for . Recent one was Bodo-Glimt. Before that I was following the progress of Shaktar when they were funded by a billionaire.

They had loads of Brazilians playing great stuff, Used to keep an eye on Rosenberg as they were regularly touted as the model LOI clubs should aspire to. Enjoyed watching Porto shocking the big guns under Mourinho. And J always remember that Ajax 95 side before the team broke up. And in or around that era I seem to remember Rangers with McCoist etc being very competitive in Europe as well.

But overall for 30 years plus there didn’t seem to be much that stayed in my memory outside of the big countries sides.

Zenit St Petersburg were great for a couple of seasons with Advocaat in charge and players like Arshavin. Had a bet on them so watched a bit in 2008.

Porto too when they had Hulk and Falcao up front, won the EL in Dublin which I was at, and their CL winning team in 2004 was awesome - Deco, Carvalho, Maniche, Bosingwa. Think that was the year they beat United which was hugely satisfying. Used to watch all the European games back then, great era.

Brentford before they were promoted when they had Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma and Bryan Mbuemo in attack were a great watch. David Raya in goal, Christian Norgaard, Jensen, Sergi Canos who hadnt made the grade at Liverpool. Proper moneyball team. Got to go to a couple of games as I knew a season ticket holder.

Not a Bohs fan but I went to a lot of games about 25 years ago when they had Glen Crowe up front and Kevin Hunt pulling strings in midfield, lots of talent outside them but great examples of players far far too good for the league at the time.

And Ajax of 2003 were also great. Ibrahimovic, Chivu, Maxwell, van der Vaart, Litmanen, Sneijder, Babel, de Jong, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, van der Meyde and Pienaar. Also a great watch when Luis Suárez joined but 2003 was around the time they last had a golden generation

What is surprising about 05/06 is that Arsenal got those 10 clean sheets with Flamini at left-back, Eboue right-back and Senderos at centre-half for much of it.

I remember the final in 1978, but little else of that tournament.

1982 should have been France and Brazil. Gentile did a job on Zico while Schumacher's horrific foul on Battiston went unpunished. A poor outcome to the tournament with foul play in the ascendancy. The French team went on to win the Euros in 1984.

I definitely read that Shaktar would get in if only 5 teams made it from England so there must be another team next on list praying England only has 5 places.

I didn't know that. The "blurb" says below, along with my running tally in bold

UEFA Champions League title holders 1*

UEFA Europa League title holders 2
2 associations with the highest coefficients from the previous season receive an extra league league phase berth. 4
10 champions from associations 1–10 14*
6 runners-up from associations 1–6 20
5 third-placed teams from associations 1–5 25
4 fourth-placed teams from associations 1–4 29
1 champion from association 15 as the team with the highest club coefficient, originally from the second round of the Champions Path 30 This last one is Shaktar

• 5 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path) 35
• 2 winners from the play-off round (League Path) 37

The fact that both Arsenal and PSG are already in the bucket for teams 8-29 means that in reality the numbers I have shown here should be 1,2,13,19,24,28,29,34 and 36.

Interestingly, they were only third in the running, ranked #45, but

#36 Olympiakos and

#38 Rangers

both dropped out of their respective title races over the weekend gone by, clearing their path.

Jens Lehmann didnt concede a goal in the whole campaign, Almunia conceded the couple of goals in the group stages and then conceded 2 off the bench in the final.

He had 10 clean sheets in a row that campaign, which is still a record. Pity he got himself sent off in the final.

English teams are extremely good value in the CL. They make an impact in good quality games and get to the knockouts.

The other top 5 leagues send teams like Girona, Bologna and a few more ones I can’t even remember that sink without a trace in boring games in boring atmospheres.

It might not be a popular view around the constant Premier league sceptic (while following it religiously) Irish football fan but the premier league deserves CL qualification numbers that outstrip the other leagues

It'll take a bit of getting used to but will be worth it in the long run. Similar to when they switched to Saturday finals as fans were finding travel difficult on midweeks with work etc. Didn't Istanbul 2005 finish at 12.30am local time without the presentations?

Whilst looking up to see if tonight's game is on free to air Tv I see that the Champions League final is not on FTA in the UK for the first time ever.