UEFA Cup becomes UEFA Europa League
…as from the 2009/10 season. This will not be the only change for this competition. Details of the changes that will be ringed by the European football governing body were announced on the official website, and these will come into effect as early as the coming season. The UEFA Cup was introduced in the 1971/72 season, and always held the reputation of the second-biggest European club competition. The winners of the first edition of the competition were Tottenham Hotspurs in the memorable glory years of the club. The system of the Final match was different, as it was played on a home and away basis. The single-match final started in 1997/98 with the winners being Inter Milan.
The competition will now have so many changes that it may be said that a new page in the competition’s history will be started as from 2009/10. Apart from the name, UEFA Europa League, and the new badge:
, a new marketing strategy will be used to make the competition more popular and closer to the level of the UEFA Champions League. All efforts have been put to maximise nation participation in the competition, with smaller nations being given a larger opportunity to bring down the established monopoly of the big clubs. As Zenit have proved in the 2007/08 Final, this CAN be achieved as they were surprisingly crowned UEFA Cup Champions. The system of the group stage will be altered so that we will now have games played on a home&away basis in the groups. UEFA have taken up the number of group-stage clubs from 40 (8 groups of 5 teams) to 48 (12 groups of 4 team on a home-and-away system). Sponsorship of the competition will be improved and better broadcasting rights negotiated.
UEFA President Michel Platini and UEFA Secretary General David Taylor commented on these changes to the competition:
“These changes will improve this historic competition, which is very important for UEFA and for European football as it gives more fans, players and clubs the thrill of European club football. I am convinced the new format will give the UEFA Europa League a successful new impetus.” - Michel Platini
“First and foremost, [the decision] is about timing. We’ve got a new competition and a new format for 2009-12, with centralisation of the group stage and with the group stage being much more similar to the UEFA Champions League format – whereby teams will play home and away. We have an opportunity to change the marketing [of the competition].”
“The UEFA Cup has been an excellent tournament over the years, but in some senses it has suffered a little bit [through] being a different tournament and not having the same prestige as the Champions League. We believe that a new name and a new brand identity will help with sponsors and with the whole identity of the competition.” - David Taylor
I think the change of the name was absolutly awful, WHY? I must ask!!
They don’t know what they are doing
why?
Europa League and Champions League. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but then again, at least it’s consistent (not like UEFA Cup and Champions League). Now they’re both “Leagues”. Which I guess is okay. So I’m not really hatin’ on the new name, it just might take some time to get used to.
That new name is s hit.
omfg wtfits
this is so *** i swear wos the point its just rebranding to dig holes in out pockets. thas like when the barclays premier league changed its lettering and numbers , we didnt need it to happen but it did and people were like omg i need to have a shirt with a new set ov letters and numbers
Here’s an idea… Chuck ‘em all in one competition. First in go those who finished in 2nd, 3rd or 4th in their domestic leagues, once they’ve had a couple of rounds, in go the national cup winners, then after that the REAL Champions of every UEFA member, then another round to whitle them down, then mini leagues until finally a last 16 knockout home and away. It shall be called “The European Cup”.
They’ve ruined the competition, it used to be hard to win. Christ, even McDonut got Boro to the final so it must be ****.
You may not like it but re-branding is crucial to any business entity. The UEFA Cup dipped in relevence due to the expansion of the champions league and almost became irrelevent. The last few seasons have seen its resurgance - thats a good thing for football. Now if UEFA had the balls to bar Champions league losers from parachuting to the 2nd stage.
The reason the UEFA Cup was and will remain irrelevant is not the format, it’s because they reach deeper and deeper down into the leagues to get the entrants. That won’t change.
These are second string clubs, and at best the big ones fallen on hard times (Bayern last year, for example) competing against each other. It’s the FA Trophy of European club football. No format changes will ever prevent that.
If UEFA really had the vision they’d have just the one competition, with exemptions for the champion clubs and cup winner’s - those who have actually won things - and the other clubs fighting for the right to join them in a league format in a series of home and away preliminary sudden death knockouts.
Clubs like Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona should not have exemptions if they have not earned it, they should compete with teams from the recesses of the Greek, Armenian or Ukrainian first division for their place.
ik hou van twente voor altijd gehaalt
rangers are the true uefa cup holders as in a months time, it will be handed it to them because zenit cheated!
shut yer hole ya hun
zenit never cheated they beat yous fairly
get it up ya mohn eh hoops
This competition is ****. I’m an Ipswich fan and we were in it in 2002/03 as a championship side the year after we were relegated because we finished top of the fair play league, how **** is that? and I’m saying that as a fan
Champions League should all leagues of europe with only the champions from each. Then make the Uefa Cup(Europa) host teams such as PL 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th(chelski,the arse,pool,spurs, etc) then the cup will be more significant with larger clubs like a barca when RM win la liga and juve and inter if AC win and so on…
I agree with yoni, too many clubs who can’t compete at this level are being entered into the competition, and im saying that as a hull city fan, and we could well finish in a european position come the end of the season (9th) as for the changing of the format, its another one of Platini’s shite ideas
yoni; Spurs in the top 5!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha