Football Forums

Please give a reason for your answer?

Yes because it is dull and full of mediocre and or grim teams in the group stage like Shakhtar Donetsk who have earned the right to be there but are club and place few footballs fans/players are overjoyed about going there.

To keep the UEFA Champions League fresh no teams should be able to meet EACH OTHER in two group stages in a row (familularity breads contempt).

Ps the final should be permanently staged at the Stade France in France, to make the final better and more special but at least at a suitbale stadium holding a minimum of 80,000 all-seated in order that the supply of tickets meet the demand better.

Champions League is fine. The idea of stopping clubs meeting in the group stages twice in a row isn't feasible because of all the other things UEFA do for the group stage draw.

I'm talking about country protection, seedings, and TV coverage where they split the teams from each country in two.

But something has to be done to keep the Champions League fresh as I am fed up seeing Celtic play the same teams every second year Man United, AC Milan, Villarreal CF, Barcelona FC, FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

I would have loved to have seen Celtic play Real Madrid and Anorthasis Famagusta in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage as they have not played these teams in decades if ever at all plus too get a bid of sun in Cyprus at a dull time of year weather wise in Glasgow. 

At lease in a European Super League you would most likely get promotion and relegation to keep it fresh and the percentage of matches in the compeition against he same teams would be lower most seasons.

The UEFA Champions League needs these changes and I wish UEFA would imploment but will not hold my breath.

Changes required

New design of trophy 

Flares/smoke bombs banned in all stadia (to make stadia safer as they have injured people in the past at stadia).

PS I like the changes UEFA is going to make to the Champions League from 2009 like playing the final on a Saturday. 

So basically the problem you have with it is that the teams don't get to play other, different teams often enough. The group stage draw is just that, a draw. If Celtic happen to play Man Utd again then so be it. It's actually a more interesting game than Celtic v Real Madrid.

It's pretty much fine, the way it is. And as mentioned it is a draw, it's not decided by a panel. I do agree that changing the final to a Saturday may prove to be a good idea though.