Scotland's clubs - a place lost in Europe

[ballengeich]

After the success of Belgian clubs in tonight's Europa league games the SPL will be competing for one place fewer next season. In 2011-12 we'll have only one Champions League spot and three in the Europa.

[Alex Trager]

How would we feel if we and the yams were in the same final in europe or even the semi's both teams loosing, would we prefer this so we -edinburgh- could finally hold the heart of scottish football instead of the wnaks through west

[CropleyWasGod]

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After the success of Belgian clubs in tonight's Europa league games the SPL will be competing for one place fewer next season. In 2011-12 we'll have only one Champions League spot and three in the Europa.

How is that? Were tonight's games not first legs?

[John_HFC]

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How is that? Were tonight's games not first legs?

By Liege, Brugge and Anderlecht all picking up co-efficient points tonight they have accumulated enough points to overtake Scotland in the co-efficient rankings.

Fingers crossed this link works as it makes the whole co-efficient thing easier to understand.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/...crank2010.html

[Woody1985]

Could this ultimately be a good thing for Scottish football?

Only having one of those ***** in the groups meaning less money for the 2nd place team? I know they don't always get in.

It wouldn't surprise me if they started winning the league a year each from now on.

[jacomo]

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Could this ultimately be a good thing for Scottish football?

Only having one of those ***** in the groups meaning less money for the 2nd place team? I know they don't always get in.

It wouldn't surprise me if they started winning the league a year each from now on.

They've already started that game, hadn't you noticed?

Rangers got big debts so their brother kindly allowed them a free run for a couple of seasons to try and get back in credit.

[John_HFC]

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Could this ultimately be a good thing for Scottish football?

Only having one of those ***** in the groups meaning less money for the 2nd place team? I know they don't always get in.

It wouldn't surprise me if they started winning the league a year each from now on.

That's what I was thinking as well.
On paper it will certainly make the SPL a lot more competitive at the top as I can't see the league winner getting through Champions League qualifiers and qualifying for the group stages.

After a few years of not getting in the Champions League their crowds at domestic games would plummet as I can't see their fans accepting the possibility of having a squad made up of mainly free transfers.

[ScottB]

A lack of near certain CL money each year could cripple the Old Firm, and the same lack of CL games will make it harder to attract players to them.

It's hardly surprising though. Less places for Scotland could prevent some of the horror shows that have dragged our points placing down in recent years.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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They've already started that game, hadn't you noticed?

Rangers got big debts so their brother kindly allowed them a free run for a couple of seasons to try and get back in credit.

If one of the OF won more than a couple of titles in a row nowadays it would cripple the other half.

[cockneymike]

A big reason for the drop in our coefficient in recent seasons is because of rubbish teams getting in through the back door of beaten cup finalists, and getting knocked out in the first rd. That rule has changed now, so that should help.

Although the number of times we got stuffed in the inter2bob didn't help either!

Ironically if only 1 of team gets into the cl, that potentially could end up being better for scottish places in Europe. As if that team makes the group stages for a couple of years and starts to do ok, then the coefficient would rise again.Also the other team would be in the europa where they should be doing ok, and then that success would also have a positive effect.

Ultimately though, we need to get in there, and win some matches and do it on a regular basis. As 4 trips to Europe in 30 years is ridiculous for a club like ours (not including inter2bob)

[ballengeich]

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That's what I was thinking as well.
On paper it will certainly make the SPL a lot more competitive at the top as I can't see the league winner getting through Champions League qualifiers and qualifying for the group stages.

There are 5 CL group places for league winners from smaller countries. As Debrecen of Hungary and APOEL of Cyprus took two this season I think that future Scottish champions will have about an even chance of getting through qualifying.

Note also that it's possible that we'll get the second CL qualifying place back in 2012. It depends on teams' performances next season.

[ballengeich]

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A big reason for the drop in our coefficient in recent seasons is because of rubbish teams getting in through the back door of beaten cup finalists, and getting knocked out in the first rd. That rule has changed now, so that should help.

I don't think that rule has changed. UEFA turned down Scotland's request for an exemption from it.

[cockneymike]

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I don't think that rule has changed. UEFA turned down Scotland's request for an exemption from it.

Really? I thought that it had, but that it came into effect this year, because there was a bit of a hoohah, how it should have done last year, but the SFA forgot to send the paperwork in. I could be wrong though....

I take it back, just checked wikipedia and I see you're right, uefa did block this - what a nightmare!

[KerPlunk]

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After the success of Belgian clubs in tonight's Europa league games the SPL will be competing for one place fewer next season. In 2011-12 we'll have only one Champions League spot and three in the Europa.

Yet another one of the SFA / SPL chickens coming home to roost.

The good news, however, is that the "playing field" in Scotland is slowly but surely levelling out, although as previous posters have said, if the Bigots can find a way to maintain their hegemony, they'll take it.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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A big reason for the drop in our coefficient in recent seasons is because of rubbish teams getting in through the back door of beaten cup finalists, and getting knocked out in the first rd. That rule has changed now, so that should help.

Although the number of times we got stuffed in the inter2bob didn't help either!

Ironically if only 1 of team gets into the cl, that potentially could end up being better for scottish places in Europe. As if that team makes the group stages for a couple of years and starts to do ok, then the coefficient would rise again.Also the other team would be in the europa where they should be doing ok, and then that success would also have a positive effect.

Ultimately though, we need to get in there, and win some matches and do it on a regular basis. As 4 trips to Europe in 30 years is ridiculous for a club like ours (not including inter2bob)

That had no effect whatsoever, as intertoto didn't count for the coefficient. Ironically, if Hibs had got through the intertoto once or twice, it may have actually dragged down the coefficient, unless they had also been able to go quite far in the UEFA Cup.