[TheCentaur]

Or are the teams and fans really happy to be there?

Not the Champions League just the UEFA cup

Check in Europeans

[andyrocha90]

It is like NIT but yes fans are actually proud to be there.

[Seto]

You mean Europa League (it's been renamed)? My team just won it yesterday and I'm not even really that happy. Shit competition.

[andyrocha90]

Thats the difference. Big name teams from big name leagues historically have not cared. But other teams really do care about it. You could see Benefica fans crying after the game. If Chelsea would have lost. I dont think we would see fans crying.

[Seto]

Thats the difference. Big name teams from big name leagues historically have not cared. But other teams really do care about it. You could see Benefica fans crying after the game. If Chelsea would have lost. I dont think we would see fans crying.

Yeah exactly. Especially when you just won Champs League the year before. Didn't even bother going on any road trips for Europa League. Went to Barcelona last year, amazing experience.

[thetrinity]

good analogy. if robert morris woulda won the nit woulda been big deal if iowa or whoever the penetrate won it (think it was them) they really dont care.

[easyliving]

English teams continuously use subs in the tourney and the Italians also see it as just extra games as well. Athletico Madrid did win it back to back years and it seems like because they can't compete with real and Barca the other spanish clubs actually are interested in the tourney.

[MoneyLineDawg]

Chlesea as a team was really happy to win and lift the trophy

Most teams care alot......I guess a step above NIT but not quite the biggest tourn

[Seto]

Chlesea as a team was really happy to win and lift the trophy

Most teams care alot......I guess a step above NIT but not quite the biggest tourn

Yeah I'm surprised at how the press and players are now talking as if our season was a success.

What a joke. This team should be competing for league titles and making deep runs in the UCL, spending the last 4 months of the season fighting for 3rd and not even getting out of the group stages in UCL is a failed season however many mickey mouse trophies you win.

[MoneyLineDawg]

Yeah I'm surprised at how the press and players are now talking as if our season was a success.

What a joke. This team should be competing for league titles and making deep runs in the UCL, spending the last 4 months of the season fighting for 3rd and not even getting out of the group stages in UCL is a failed season however many mickey mouse trophies you win.

They had a decent year.....Can't win the CL every time

Europa League Champions and 3rd place (CL next year)......Not bad for this Chelsea team

It's not a huge success but it was solid.....Not a Chelsea fan just calling it like I see it

[Seto]

They had a decent year.....Can't win the CL every time

Europa League Champions and 3rd place (CL next year)......Not bad for this Chelsea team

It's not a huge success but it was solid.....Not a Chelsea fan just calling it like I see it

It's the bare minimum. The absolute bare minimum. Arsenal stink. The fact that that shit team can still steal 3rd from us is laughable. Then again we've choked so many games away (2-0 at home to Southampton, 2-0 with 3 mins to go @ Reading, 2-1 in the 96th min @ Liverpool) that we let the 2 scrubs behind us hang around waaay too much.

Obviously can't win it every year but not making it out of the group stages is a failure, even though it was a tough group (not as much of a failure as Man Utd failing to get out of a group with Benfica, Basel and some Romanian team last year )

[Naz18]

Of course Chelsea can't win the CL league every year...did you see how they won it...

[jacksonbird03]

If only Chelsea were win the CL league every year then what will other team do ??
Other teams are also very good and it is not easy for any of them to win the league again and agin....

[19th Hole]

Embarrassing

[lakerboy]

Seto arsenal are very well run. They fall apart all at once every year and then when everyone forgets about them they win all there late games and get to the cl. ( That's there only goal anyways.)

[onemoregoal]

I just realised Wigan will be in this next year
Probably took away the little respect this comp had..

[Seto]

If only Chelsea were win the CL league every year then what will other team do ??
Other teams are also very good and it is not easy for any of them to win the league again and agin....

lol you guys are reading me wrong. i'm not asking to win the CL every year, just get out of the fukking group. not that hard, it's in fact the first time in CFC history we don't make it out of group stages in 10+ apps

[onemoregoal]

^ The mighty Everton will hold you 2m and you will face a play off against AC Milan
Or my Arsenal get knocked out of the champion league by Newcastle...

[Seto]

Seto arsenal are very well run. They fall apart all at once every year and then when everyone forgets about them they win all there late games and get to the cl. ( That's there only goal anyways.)

They are, but when you like at their payroll/roster and ours, we should be finishing 10pts ahead of them at least. Arsenal will finish with 73pts so I guess they're not that bad but we should be around 80. This is somewhat of a "transitional season", but 2 years in a row of not challenging for the league is enough. Next year hopefully it changes.

[Seto]

^ The mighty Everton will hold you 2m and you will face a play off against AC Milan
Or my Arsenal get knocked out of the champion league by Newcastle...

Ever heard of seedings? We'll never get AC Milan in preliminary round even if both teams participate in it.

[Seto]

I just realised Wigan will be in this next year
Probably took away the little respect this comp had..

It could have been worse. Millwall could've been in this had they beaten Wigan. Hopefully those scumbags will never even sniff Europe again.

[onemoregoal]

Ever heard of seedings? We'll never get AC Milan in preliminary round even if both teams participate in it.

I dont think its like that anymore. its a play off not preliminary round..
How did Arsenal get Napoli? and Everton got a la liga side too...cant remember who.

[TheCentaur]

You mean Europa League (it's been renamed)? My team just won it yesterday and I'm not even really that happy. Shit competition.

Exactly what I was wondering

[Seto]

I dont think its like that anymore. its a play off not preliminary round..
How did Arsenal get Napoli? and Everton got a la liga side too...cant remember who.

Because Napoli hadn't been in Europe in millenniums so they weren't seeded. Everton got Villarreal ages ago (2005/06), and they hadn't been in Europe for ages (Everton). I think the seedings are based on last 5 years results in Europe. Chelsea v AC Milan will not happen, 100% guaranteed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2...Play-off_round

Seeded/unseeded

[onemoregoal]

Udinese sorry.. not napoli.

[Seto]

Udinese sorry.. not napoli.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2...Play-off_round

So all the teams with recent ucl history (Arsenal, Bayern, Lyon for instance) were kept apart.

[Seto]

Not to say we couldn't draw a "decent" team if we fall down to 4th, but it won't be AC Milan, won't be Valencia if they qualify and probably won't be Lyon either if they qualify.

[onemoregoal]

None of those sides are form La Liga/Seria A/ epl

What i read was this;

Play-off round	Champions (10 teams)		10 winners from the third qualifying round for champions
Non-champions (10 teams)	1 runner-up from association 7 3 third-placed teams from associations 4–6 2 fourth-placed teams from associations 1–3 (minus the spot vacated by Tottenham Hotspur)

[onemoregoal]

oh actually u are right, malaga/udinese

i feel better

[Seto]

oh actually u are right, malaga/udinese

i feel better

the country you are from has nothing to do with being seeded/unseeded.

it's your past recent history as a club that matters.

[onemoregoal]

Yeah i thought its the countries quality of league and how they have done in the CL as a whole. (the reason we get a 4 placed spot.)
Should be much easier, thx

[Seto]

Yeah i thought its the countries quality of league and how they have done in the CL as a whole. (the reason we get a 4 placed spot.)
Should be much easier, thx

Hopefully don't have to go thru that stupid round. Would save me some money on tickets too.

[TheSportsAnalyst]

If Milan will get the 3rd place in Serie A will be a seeded team of 'Non Champions' division of the playoff round, as the 4th placed of Premier League.

A clash between top 4 nations in this round will be possible only if Real Sociedad and/or Freiburg will qualify for the CL.
Otherwise both Valencia and Schalke will be seeded teams along with the best ranked one coming off the third qualifying round.

So

Milan v Real Sociedad/Freiburg
or
Chelsea/Arsenal v Real Sociedad/Freiburg

are possible matchups.

Milan v Chelsea or Milan v Arsenal won't happen until group stage.

[onemoregoal]

We are lucky 4th gets a shot anyway, thats why i thought epl 4th to play off against anyone is fair enough.
Nah, you will beat Everton - maybe if it was earlier in the season but when it matters...
I wouldnt have Arsenal @ 1.53 tho - stupid toon army and their fans/pride..

[Seto]

We are lucky 4th gets a shot anyway, thats why i thought epl 4th to play off against anyone is fair enough.
Nah, you will beat Everton - maybe if it was earlier in the season but when it matters...
I wouldnt have Arsenal @ 1.53 tho - stupid toon army and their fans/pride..

I'm scared of that game. Has everything of a trap. Everton are a nuisance, they got that famous 4-4 draw that cost utd the title last year, and have recently got pts at arsenal and tottenham. Moyes last game in charge. Tired legs after most games played in a season by a team probably in European Club football history (bar teams that played that stupid intertoto cup) and midweek game.

But yeah, should win despite all that. Wouldn't put a penny on it though.