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The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: seso Date: 05-06-2002, 21:57	http://www.uefa.com/uefa/News/Kind=32768/newsId=25567.html The strangest thing for me is that "....The 40 first-round winners would then contest a group phase in eight groups of five teams each, with each team playing two home games and two away games..." not four home and four away games...

Re: The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: vakho Date: 06-06-2002, 09:23	As I understand it's UC 2003-04 format discussed. This kind of formula was applied some time ago in Intertoto cup , but later UEFA decided to swich into knock-outs, because the group games were ve-e-e-ry boaring.

Re: The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: seso Date: 06-06-2002, 11:09	Yes it is for the 2003-04 UC. Apologies.

Author: broxibear
Date: 06-06-2002, 23:30

What kind of rubbish is that . I mean play 4 games , two home two away. For exaample a group with (bear with me , I'm trying to make an obvious point) Real Madrid , Bayern M , Man U and Levski Sofi (no disrespect intended). I'd expect the team that got Real Madrid away and Levski Sofia at home to be at a far greater disadvantage to the team that got Real at home and Levksi away.

It's unworkable. Teams will not be playing on a level playing field.

Re: The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: jpcccc Date: 07-06-2002, 00:28	broxibear, i suppose you did not like the Five Nations (now six) Tournament in rugby...

Author: jpcccc
Date: 07-06-2002, 00:43

sorry, i forgot to add this point:

one way to make it 'workable' is to have the team with lower ranking playing at home when facing an higher ranking one. I believe this happens in French cup. It levels the field and makes the cup more interesting, though not truly balanced. In broxibear's example, Levski Sofia would face the big ones and make a huge profit ... However, that is an unworkable example because teams will be seeded for group draws and only one big team would top each group.

I find this idea appealing, particularly because it gives lower ranking countries a chance to host some big teams while avoiding those uninteresting games where a small team is crashed in an empty stadium. So, we get less games, more interesting games, and a sort of "handycap" (like in golf) for the weaker teams. It would make UEFA Cup more interesting at this early stage.

Author: putzeijs
Date: 07-06-2002, 14:23

I'm totally pro. Likes jpcccc says: fewer games (compared to the ChL groups), more interesting games. The subtop countries get more changes to improve their quality.
It didn't work out in Intertoto because the difference between the really weak and the better teams was to great, and just one team passed through the next stage.
Here there will be a double selection (q + round 1), to avoid the rally small team to enter this fase. A group PSG, Anderlecht, Red Star Belgrade, Aberdeen, Odense should give some interesting games, and should be possible for the next season.

Re: The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: feelesh Date: 07-06-2002, 17:09	jpcccc - initially I thought the idea was absurd, but as you point out it works in the rugby. However, because it is the same six nations, it balances out from one year to the next. Perhaps it should be tried. In England we say, 'what you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts.'

Re: The latest 2002-03 UC format...
Author: jpcccc Date: 08-06-2002, 01:37	What i would really like to know is how the home-away choice or draw will be made, since each team plays two games away and other two at home. This means some games will have a higher ranking team hosting weaker ones. Maybe there is a way to minimize the number of such games and get a calendar. These 'details' are the ones that can make the idea either good or absurd.