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UEFA's Latest Brainwave
Cup winners in the Champions League? As if it is not bad enough that most of the teams in it are not champions , they now want to open it up to the possibility of lower league clubs qualifying! All those people complaining about teams from lesser nations being in there would have a field day if the FA Cup was won by another shock winner like Wimbledon back in 1988.
I can see the thinking behind it, I really can’t imagine the likes of Reading putting out a weakened side when there is all that money at stake and such a huge prize on offer for the winners.
When you hear how teams like Ipswich lost money through qualifying for the UEFA Cup, you can see why smaller clubs fail to see a place in that competition as much of an incentive. In fact Steve Coppell was only saying last week how a UEFA Cup place might be a disaster for Reading. He was worried about the strain on the squad, which would require a bigger squad. The club would not only have to buy these players, they would have to pay their wages, not an easy task, just ask Leeds United.
There are surely better ways to improve cup competitions around Europe, I know Italy, France etc. are all worried about their respective cups, but there are so many things they could do for themselves rather than messing about with the Champions League. Instead of looking to Europe to sort their cup competitions they should do something about it themselves. The reason their cups are struggling is because they do nothing and hope someone else will make the necessary changes, they need to stop passing the buck and make some changes for themselves.
Article written by Tris Burke
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