Toying with an idea - Balcan cup

Champions League, Europa League, Conference League
totosexpandingheadband
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Post by totosexpandingheadband »

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... b-football

In the aftermath of Uefa announcing their plans for future Champions League campaigns, which appears to favour major European clubs in the continent’s richest leagues, it’s perhaps no surprise that other clubs who feel frozen out by the proposals are considering leaving their own domestic competitions for a new European breakaway league.



At the forefront of these negotiations are Danish club FC Copenhagen. Club director Anders Horsholt has revealed discussions have been held over a potential European league involving teams from Scotland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Sweden. Stale Solbakken’s side have made a great start to this season’s Champions League and are worried that they and other medium-sized European clubs will be squeezed out by bigger clubs in future Champions League campaigns. Norwegian champions Rosenborg are also apparently keen on the idea, having totally dominated their domestic league this season but failed to advance through the Champions League qualifying rounds.

We’d like to hear the thoughts of supporters from the countries linked to this breakaway league. What impact would an “Atlantic league” have on clubs? Have the Uefa proposals left clubs with little option or is there a better alternative than a breakaway league? Share your thoughts with us by filling the form out below. We’ll feature a selection of contributions on the site.
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Post by Thunder_PT »

Not from one of these counties, but perhaps relevant: Sporting CP's president just said they're against a super league, he believes it'd kill football.
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Kjello
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Post by Kjello »

totosexpandingheadband wrote:Norwegian champions Rosenborg are also apparently keen on the idea, having totally dominated their domestic league this season but failed to advance through the Champions League qualifying rounds.
I'm sure Rosenborg is open for proposals to make the gap to the international stage smaller. However, leaving the Norwegian league is out of the question. First, Rosenborg is a member owned club. The members will stop this. Second, chairman Ivar Koteng stated today that Rosenborg under no circumstances will leave the Norwegian League.

Personally, sceptical to the idea.
In a such league Rosenborg will become one of the smaller and weaker teams.
Rosenborg has a budget of about €20 m currently.
Clubs like Celtic, Ajax and PSV all have three times that budget.
And what benefit would it be to end lets say 6th in a stronger breakaway league, compared to winning a way weaker Norwegian league, but at least get an attempt at qualifying for the Champions League or at least the Europa League.

I see no benefit at all to be honest.

Then I'm more positive towards the idea of a Scandinavian, or in worst case, a Nordic league. In a such league Rosenborg will still be one of the biggest clubs, as well as getting tougher opponents in the daily matches.
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Post by Lorric »

The smart way to do this would be for these 6 nations to send their best team that fails to qualify for Europe and play each other home and away. That's 10 games, equivalent to a group stage and a couple of KO rounds. No need to leave the domestic league.

So imagine two seasons from now, Celtic win through Q1, 2 and 3 and lose at Q4 and drop into the Europa League. So they make it into Europe. Aberdeen come 2nd and win through ELQ1 and 2 and lose at Q3. So Aberdeen is Scotland's team.

Meanwhile, Malmo win at CLQ1 but lose at Q2 and are out of Europe. So Malmo is Sweden's team. And so on.

And maybe in the future, another such league gets set up, such as a Balkan League. And the winner of that could play the winner of the Atlantic League over two legs.
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Post by Lorric »

Alright, I'm going to give form to this if it happened this season.

Scotland, Celtic qualified for CL. Aberdeen failed, so Aberdeen.

Sweden, Norrkopping failed, so Norrkopping.

Denmark, Copenhagen qualified for CL, Sonderjyske failed, so Sonderjyske.

Norway, Rosenborg failed, so Rosenborg.

Belgium, Club Brugge CL, Anderlecht EL, Gent EL, Genk EL, even the CW Standard Liege got EL, so we go to their 5th team, Oostende.

Netherlands, PSV CL, Ajax EL, AZ Alkmaar EL, Heracles Almelo failed, so Heracles Almelo.

Aberdeen vs Norrkopping vs Sonderjyske vs Rosenborg vs Oostende vs Heracles Almelo.

Doesn't look the greatest lineup, but that's because it's now, before qualifying gets much harder.

Some Balkan countries, but I'm not sure which ones to use, if anyone wants to finish:

Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb CL, Rijeka failed, so Rijeka.

Serbia, Red Star failed, so Red Star.

Albania, you could take Skenderbeu. If not, Partizani Tirana

BiH, Zrinjski failed, so Zrinjski.

Slovenia, Olimpija Ljubljana failed, so Olimpija Ljubljana
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Post by Thunder_PT »

And the Latin Cup would be contested between Malaga, AC Milan, Arouca and Lille. :P
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Post by Lorric »

Thunder_PT wrote:And the Latin Cup would be contested between Malaga, AC Milan, Arouca and Lille. :P
Big 6 Cup would add West Ham and Hertha Berlin who were even worse going out at Q3.
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Malko
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Post by Malko »

Thunder PT...euh Lille is probably the less latin club of France.....they are nearly skandinavian....
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Post by Malko »

FRance football would rather fit to Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland than to Spain and Portuhal, geograhocally and mentally.
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Post by Malko »

Germany with austria, switzerland and Poland, Italy with Spain and Portuhal,.....Denmark with Norway, Finland and Sweden, England with Scotland, Ireland and Wales.........
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Post by Thunder_PT »

The Latin Cup was an historic competition between the Champions of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. I merely adapted Lorric's rules to this set of countries, Lille were the best placed team of last season's Ligue 1 who didn't make it to the group stages.
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Malko
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Post by Malko »

Therewas also a tradionnal Cup, calles Alp-Cup (Coupe des Alpes) from 1960-87 between italian, french, german and swiss clubs,,,,,,A french club wonit 9 times (Nimes,Reims,Monaco,Nantes,Auxerre), Swiss clubs 7 times (servette, Basel, Young Boys), Italians 7 (Geoa,Napoli, Juventus,Lazio)and germans 1 time (Frankfurt).....
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Post by ignjat63 »

UEFA is looking ridiculous with such a small territory and so many members. The biggest problem to forming such leagues is that the fans are identifying themselves with the nation state. If you do not (like myself) then this idea is quite acceptable. And given the situation in European team football, some solution must be found.

What I find unbearable is that UEFA, which was formed by the FAs is stronger than them and is commanding them. To my mind it means that FAs should leave (collectively) UEFA (at least most of them) and form a new European football association.
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Post by EarlofBug »

Lorric wrote:Aberdeen vs Norrkopping vs Sonderjyske vs Rosenborg vs Oostende vs Heracles Almelo.

Doesn't look the greatest lineup, but that's because it's now, before qualifying gets much harder.
Rosenborg seems to me the biggest name from these.

Some Balkan countries, but I'm not sure which ones to use, if anyone wants to finish:

Serbia, Red Star failed, so Red Star.

Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb CL, Rijeka failed, so Rijeka.

Slovenia, Olimpija Ljubljana failed, so Olimpija Ljubljana

BiH, Zrinjski failed, so Zrinjski.

Albania, you could take Skenderbeu. If not, Partizani Tirana
I would exclude Albania from that list, but include Macedonia (FYROM) and Montenegro (and maybe Kosovo, althought Serbia will veto that).
The balkan countries already has such a league in Basketball.
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Post by Todor »

EarlofBug wrote:
Lorric wrote:Aberdeen vs Norrkopping vs Sonderjyske vs Rosenborg vs Oostende vs Heracles Almelo.

Doesn't look the greatest lineup, but that's because it's now, before qualifying gets much harder.
Rosenborg seems to me the biggest name from these.

Some Balkan countries, but I'm not sure which ones to use, if anyone wants to finish:

Serbia, Red Star failed, so Red Star.

Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb CL, Rijeka failed, so Rijeka.

Slovenia, Olimpija Ljubljana failed, so Olimpija Ljubljana

BiH, Zrinjski failed, so Zrinjski.

Albania, you could take Skenderbeu. If not, Partizani Tirana
I would exclude Albania from that list, but include Macedonia (FYROM) and Montenegro (and maybe Kosovo, althought Serbia will veto that).
The balkan countries already has such a league in Basketball.
Plus Bulgaria and Romania. The original Balkan cups included Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia and later Albania.
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