They apparently won the Oceania Champions league last year. Wild.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lago
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They apparently won the Oceania Champions league last year. Wild.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lago
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Switched it off, Tranent Juniors would give them a better game.
You've got plenty people advocating that the "Champions" league should revert to what it was, and be the Champions of each country.
This tournament is doing exactly that and allowing the biggest teams from their own part of the world to compete against football financial giants.
The difference in quality is huge, but it's an indicator of what would happen if the Champions League returned to it's old format.
The two professional NZ teams play in the Australian league. As Australia are in Asia for qualifying, it allows the amateur Auckland team to compete from Oceania. Wonder what happens to the £2m+ they get for turning up?
I assume it secures the future of their club for the foreseeable future.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bishop Hibee
Without knowing the finances of the NZ League, it presumably creates a large financial gulf, easily keeping them at the top to re enter the next club World Cup.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinello59
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bishop Hibee
Good guess
https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/14/club-...-23404324/amp/
That's a wee eye-opener reading about the Oceania Champions League - finals held on what resembles a junior club AstroTurf at times, tiny islands making the finals, a crowd of about 800 at a recent final.
I'd be loathe to argue the winners of a continental tournament didn't have a place at this though. Outright overlook them? Seems unfair. Make them qualify and enforce even more games as part of this whole charade?
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What’s even the qualifying criteria for this nonsense. Looking at the list of clubs, some are catching my eye as a bit out of place.
Porto - 3rd in Portugal, no cup win.
Athletico - 3rd in Spain, no cup win.
Dortmund - 4th in Germany, no cup win.
Juventus - 4th in Italy, no cup win.
There are a few others standing out but you get the point. Meanwhile clubs who finished above these seem to be missing.
I think you can qualify automatically by winning something or also based on your coefficient points. I remember reading that Dortmund reaching the champions league final last year gave them enough points.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul1642
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It’s total nonsense, a tournament that shouldn’t exist. The players should be relaxing on the beach now with their families.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul1642
And that’s 9. Ridiculous.
I watched 5 minutes of this nonsense last night. Saw the players getting introduced one by one like an NFL starting offense and switched off never to return.
The most obvious and ridiculous money grab yet from FIFA.
8PM PSG V Atletico Madrid TNT USA
11PM Palmeiras v Porto DAZN UK Events 4
The only games remotely interesting will be the Rivers and Bocas ect v the Europeans.
The South Americans and their watching public always take these kind of encounters extremely seriously.
England with a few decent ex players, vidic to take out Rooney.
Read this beeb article and you will move from thinking its nonsense to being furious at the the open Trumpesque doing the outrageous in plain sightQuote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Boy
I’d actually read quite a lot about it as I bought World Soccer magazine for holiday reading. Also a good article in yesterday’s Guardian on Palmeiras. As far as Europe is concerned it’ll make the rich clubs even richer. I won’t be going out of my way to watch any of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Whizz
1-0 psg
Watching here on holiday in France and it reminds me of exhibition games, it’s woeful
2-0 psg
HT
Carlos Tevez with a quick fire double lol
Yes that’s who i thought was playing. Utterly bizarreQuote:
Originally Posted by J-C
two-wan
oh oh VAR checking
yeah that looks like a foul in the lead up 2-0
I wish FIFA would do something to stop the players crowding the ref after nearly every decision, it's really tiresome.
oops that's a sitter missed by Atletico
oor Bowie woulda buried that
3-0
penalty PSG last kick of the game
4-0
FT
Good chat on BBC Five live about how the competition will ruin league football in many of the countries taking part. The winners of the Argentine Primera División got about $450k and will get $15.21m for turning up. They will have resources that totally outweigh their competitors next season, this is obviously worse in NZ, with the amateur Auckland City getting $3.58m for turning up. If smaller country's clubs can keep coming back to this competition they will dominate their leagues for generations - with the caveat that we know that clubs can waste £50m and get nothing in return
Football is a monopoly and it’s only going to get worse.Quote:
Originally Posted by Numptie
Not that I want them there, but I’m quite curious as to how Celtic aren’t involved.
The CL became the super league by the back door, and this feels like the global super league.
Something big needs to change in football but I’m not sure what or how.
Aye it’s crap, and as you say the divides are getting larger and more insurmountable with each passing season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul1642
Unfortunately can’t see any governing body taking effective action, as UEFA / FIFA are in the pockets of the big clubs. We see similar here with the OF / SFA dynamic.
Money has destroyed the (once) beautiful game IMO.