NBTTT European Competitions

If we were to actually come up with a setup that would make sense for fans and actually have any meaning whatsoever outside the Champions League, I would say something like this which puts value on domestic league position, domestic cup competitions, and also gives a "promotion" path for consistent success within Euro competitions, so I would think it would help bring back the value of domestic cups, Europa League, adding value to the new (Mickey Mouse) league, and also remove the risk of 6th place finishes being enough to guarantee Champions League money.

It would be theoretically possible (although unlikely) that a team could win the FA Cup and three years later be in League Two and in the Champions League, but even then they would be there on merit.

(As I wrote this, I started getting flash-backs - format might be different but I get the feeling this is very similar to how it used to work with the old CL, UEFA Cup and CWC).

Champions League:

Qualifcation - CHAMPIONS of each of the 55 UEFA nations, plus the previous CL champions. Added to this are the teams who finished in the last 8 of the Europa League the previous season regardless of where they finished in their league season, giving us 64 teams. If any of those have qualified in multiple ways (i.e. last 8 europa league and domestic champion, or CL winner and domestic champion) then their domestic runners up also qualify.

Qualifying round: 32 ties, two legs, seeded. Winners go to group stage.

Same format from current group stage onward (32 teams).

Europa League:

League runners-up of each of the 55 nations. If runners-up are qualified for the CL, 3rd place qualifies.
Last 8 in the Mickey Mouse Cup from previous season.
Next highest league finishers from the top seeded nations to bring us to 96 teams.

48 qualification ties, two legged, seeded.

Same format from current group stage onward (48 teams).

Mickey Mouse Cup:

Domestic cup winners from the 55 nations. If cup winners are qualified for either of the higher competitions then the cup runners up qualify.

Find some lame excuse to add another 8 teams to take us to 64.

32 qualification ties, two legged, seeded.

Then a knockout bracket all the way to the final. After all, this is meant to be a competition for cup winning teams right?

Posted By: Steve in Holland, Sep 11, 13:08:10