Is the Champions League now becoming boring and predicable?

November 8th, 2007 by SM Dev (ste)

Is the Champions League now becoming boring and predicable? Is it starting to lose its glamour? Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp thinks Europe’s premier club competition is in danger of losing its appeal due to the league format which, he believes, has made it boring.

Redknapp believes that the Champions League is “fast replacing the Carling Cup” and that the group stages have become “monotonous” and “plodding”. He continued: “The Champions League is fast replacing the Carling Cup as a stage for the reserves to enjoy a few days in a pretty, foreign town and a run out.”

You only need to look at some of the results to date of this season’s group stage to backup what he is saying. The competition especially at the group stage of the competition is becoming predictable, and the gulf in class between some clubs is becoming more and more evident each season.

Arsenal crushed Slavia Praha 7-0 at home and outclassed them in every sense, and due to this in the return leg left key players like Rosicky, Toure, Fabregas, and Hleb at home. Away in Praha Arsene Wenger fielded a team that a lot of English people have now come accustomed to seeing in the League Cup. Liverpool might have struggled in Istanbul where they lost to Besiktas, but they humiliated them 8-0 in the return fixture.

Redknapp believes that the competition is losing its competitive edge. “It is because of the huge disparity between the teams and, moreover, what I regard as the monotonous, plodding group stages,” he said. Lokomotiv Moskva and Sparta Praha were the last teams from outside Western Europe to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League, and that was going back to the 2003/04 season.

Redknapp believes that the Champions League only gets going in the second round, saying that games which are interesting are those which take on “the feel of the traditional, old knockout match.”

It seems fans have found the early phases of the competition bloated and drawn out as well, which has resulted in clubs like Chelsea and Lazio playing games in front of half-empty stadiums. Chelsea’s match against Rosenborg only attrached 24,973 spectators which was their worst attendance in four years, and the Lazio-Werder match only attracted 28,236 spectators, and the official capacity for the Olympic Stadium is 82,307.

Some fans argue along the same lines as Redknapp believing that the whole competition is a cosy little tournament for rich clubs to become even richer. The European Cup used to be exciting and sometimes romantic. Teams like Nottingham Forest showed that the underdogs could win with a good youth policy. Now it’s the same clubs every year because of the money.

What ever happened to the idea of a real European Champions Cup with only the National Champions of all countries in Europe taking part? Now that would bring back the fans, and end the current predicable tournament.

Is Harry Redknapp right? Is it losing is appeal? Are some games irrelevant? Tell us what you think.

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23 Comments Add your own

1. craigjohnson(forum) | November 8th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

Totally agree. I am a Manchester united fan and I feel that the champions league should go back to the knockout format of the old European cup and that it should be Champions only.

I would have said this a couple of seasons ago too when United wouldn’t have qualified if that was the case.

I think it would be good for the game in as much as managers couldn’t “rest” players both domestically or in europe. No more of the big teams making 8-9 changes because they are playing a team at the bottom of the league because every point will count. I feel sorry for the fans of the smaller clubs when the travel to a big club, not expecting a result but to hopefully see some quality players, only for lots of changes to be made and make it a bit of a let down. It would make every kick in every game important and would really see who is the best in Europe.
2. Adam Davies | November 8th, 2007 at 4:47 pm

I both agree and disagree. I agree with Redknapp in that its becoming like the ‘League Cup’, where the top teams put out their younger teams in order to rest their main players for League matches. I also agree with the statement where he stated that the Champions League only lifts itself in the second round, after the Group Stages.

I think that removing seedings and the rules where teams from the same country can’t be drawn against each other would help this. You don’t tend to get very many groups like the 98-99 group of Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Brondby.

I dont think its become boring in any way. I still enjoy the best club teams from around the world now as I did 10 years ago. I think the teams winning the matches have become somewhat predictable, but i dont think the team that wins the competition has. Who would have predicted that AC Milan would have won it last year? With the domestic problems they had, and continue to have, everybody wrote them off to begin with.
3. Amjad | November 8th, 2007 at 6:16 pm

I propose that my following Format would be acceptable to most of you……..
In all 16 Teams……
Top Two Teams from the Last years League Table from the five most Strongest Leagues ( England,Spain,Germany,Italy,France)…..And a straight two legged Qualifying Round for the rest 6 places left (only the last Year’s League winners) from the other countries………..Four Groups of Four Teams each with each Team playing the other Three two times( Home/Away )………..Then Straight away two legged Semi-Final between the top finishers of the four Groups……..The Away-Goal rule should be scrapped and straight away Extra-Time should be played in case of Aggregate Draw for The Semi-Finals only…….The Away-Goal rule should in place for the Group Stage…………How is this Idea
4. danny johnson | November 8th, 2007 at 8:11 pm

yes it is i think it should be shorter and sweeter instead of top 4 it should be top 2 due to this more fans will come to watch eg arsenal resulting in more money to buy better playas so they have a better chance of winning it and 3 to 6 should be in the uefa cup this will create a better atmosphere to the uefa cup cos really no ones bovered abart it except the fans witch team who r in it but no ones boverted r they
5. john friel | November 8th, 2007 at 9:04 pm

This the exact thought i had yesterday thats its getting boring
6. diz Faris | November 9th, 2007 at 12:53 am

Champions League might become boring..I admit it..But can you wait until knockout stages ?? Because you can see Barcelona , Man Utd ,Arsenal ,Milan ,Inter Milan ,real Madrid ad other big club all has bright future to go to last 16….And the match will be interesting..No doubt on it..
7. Nick Budicin | November 9th, 2007 at 6:13 am

i think that in order to get a true cross section of European Champions we must continue to include the champions of ‘other’ European countries - Rosenbourg are a prime example of this.
Under a more strict qualifying system they may not even be competing but here they are sitting second and poised for qualification to the second round.
The romance spoken of in this article would be completely lost if the art of ‘the upset’ was taken away from The Champions League - it is these somewhat monotonous stages that allow the competition to operate effectively and fairly.
8. chris haggard | November 9th, 2007 at 7:35 am

i agree! not just coz harry is my god(yes i’m a portsmouth fan) it does drag on for to long. they should do it the same as the UEFA cup group stages. play each team once. do a draw to see where the venue is held
9. Bestpay | November 9th, 2007 at 11:20 am

Boring - definately no.

Predictable - most of the time.

I had the pleasure of watching Real Madrid 4 Olympiakos 2 recently whilst in Spain, funny nobody in that bar found the game boring! Robinho was world class that night!

I’m sure when Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Marseille, none of the Liverpool fans walking home had predicted that!

Did anybody predict Rosenborg doing the double over Valencia? I wish i’d bet on that, the reason I didn’t is that I didn’t expect it.

I love the champions league, both the knockout stage and the group stage. I love watching all the teams, both english and abroad.

I think the Champions league is great as it is and I want it to stay that way.
10. Johann Mendez (Forum) | November 9th, 2007 at 12:30 pm

Agree and disagree. Champions League might be boring or so, but still, some fixtures are quite interesting. When you look at some teams like Rosenborg, who are a surprise pack, could still do well. I don’t really think that there should be just champions in this tournament. Reason, look at Stuttgart and where they stand now. They were champions but now both Bremen and Schalke are playing better than them. It’s not always champions. That is why a few teams are selected.

If it’s only champions in this tournament, it would really be more boring than the situation now. If it’s only champions, teams like Arsenal, Barcelona, Roma, Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan, Valencia and several other top guns would not be inside this tournament. Instead, it’ll be joined in by champions from other poorer leagues. This is a pro and con. The con shows itself the most. Reason, those teams who are champions from smaller leagues would get battered by the top guns no matter what. It’ll get worse.

Yes, the Champions League is getting boring. But how did the smaller teams get in? They got in by beating the better teams… in TWO LEGS. Don’t forget, Slavia Prague beat Ajax twice. That’s why they’re in. They have qualified.

Though, I’d have to agree that there shouldn’t be a chance for top teams to rest their players. It’s really unfair and kills off the fun and excitement in a game. So, a knockout round would be nice. But still, it is a good display of talent. Even though teams like Manchester United and Arsenal rest their players, they still maintain their style and get the result at the end of the day. It’s a good chance for younger players to rise up to the spot, but it surely makes the game boring.

Therefore, to me, I’d say both.
11. Darshann Jo | November 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pm

Well, I don’t think that it is too predictable to be honest (I mean just look at the Olympiakos-Madrid result, or when Marseille outclassed Liverpool at Anfield), I just feel that the sort of teams that made the cut this year especially play a big part in how things have turned out.
Bayern have gone, and in are Stuttgart who even in the league are doing pretty badly.
Galatasaray are usually a formidable outfit, but Besiktas have come in instead of them.
The Juve scandal is another thing, as Lazio have come in instead of them, and although they are a decent team with a good stadium, they are no match for Juventus.
I think its not down to the Champions League being predictable, its just that the top teams (some of them) aren’t doing as well in their domestic leagues as they should be doing.
I think Craig has said the right thing, the Champions League should go back to the ‘champions only’ sort of thing, not these 2nd rate Ukranian teams.
12. jerome | November 9th, 2007 at 1:08 pm

i agree..this year’s competition is borin…we only see the big clubs hu r thrashin the smalled clubs..liverpool may hv stumbled…bt they gt back…the rest of the teams like barca,real m,valencia,roma n the rest r all really dominatin the game..n besides..the big clubs have bought the stars frm the smaller clubs!makin it harder fr the smaller clubs to win!!
13. Bobo | November 9th, 2007 at 3:27 pm

Valencia are dominating? Maybe I should clear my eyes a little…

I don’t agree that the CL is getting boring. I watch matches all the time, despite not supporting any team who’s taking part (my favourite two teams are Fulham and Juventus). There have been some interesting matches, along with some expected ones. Liverpool’s position is a shock. Valencia’s position is a shock. Shocks happen nonetheless, so it’s not 100% predictable either.

Also, decreasing the amount of teams taking part, at least in my opinion, would not bring out a real champion, because a real champion must be consistent, so if there are less important games some teams may get lucky - it’s happened with the current CL style, let alone if the size is decreased!

To be honest I like it as it is. It’s always nice to see a team like Rosenborg (no offense to them) up there. It’s also nice to see Liverpool lose - let’s hope they do so on Saturday :p
14. MIke | November 9th, 2007 at 5:44 pm

I wouldn’t say it’s getting boring, but it is time for a change nonetheless. Maybe they can make it a much bigger event, and make it happen every other year or so to make it seem more important.

I believe the G14 has asked for a European League to replace it. I for one 100% back this idea.
15. paul cook | November 9th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

If only the champions played in the CL what would happen to teams like Bolton,Spurs and Everton. Would they loose places to the likes of Man Utd ,Liverpool etc in the Uefa cup and not play european football at all. I think the CL format needs to change, perhaps to one game knock outs and change the competition name as well as not only champions play. Some of the lesser known teams may have got soundly beaten by the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool but remember they got into this comp. on there own merit and we shouldn’t take that away from them.
16. Hipirok | November 10th, 2007 at 1:02 am

There are too many trashings now it’s becoming to easy to dominate. Look at Liverpool 8-0 over Bestikas and Arsenal(Yeah go the Gunners!)7-0 over Sparta Prague.
17. JL | November 10th, 2007 at 1:53 am

Yes. I agree too. I think what the fans want to see are the top ranked uefa clubs going at each other. In my opinion, they should have a different kind of qualifying format. Lets say the league winner and 2nd placer, and the winners of the domestic cups would be the only ones to qualify for the Champions league. In that way it would also add a huge incentive for the those domestic cup competitions and add more competitiveness, pressure and glory to the clubs who wins one, so some fans wont just look at domestic cup competitions as supplemental to a club’s achievements. After all it is the “Champions” League they will qualify for, why would those cup winners be any different?
18. Smartdoc | November 11th, 2007 at 12:32 am

The Champions league is never boring or predictable simply for the fact that it pits country versus country. No one team has dominated the Champions league in recent times. This years competition is odd in a way because for a variety of reasons a number of the continents teams are missing. No disrespect to the German contingent but what are Bayern doing in the UEFA cup. As well as Marseille have done, they are languishing in the depths of their domestic league and I can think of a few more worthy representatives from France. Other regulars such as Ajax have managed to get eliminated in the qualifying rounds.

As a result of this, several teams havereached the dizzy heights of the group stages. Whereas usually most of the teams that reach this stage harbour hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages, this year a number of the teams have already reached their final by reaching the group stages (and the windfall that goes with it). Sure some of the groups have already been decided, but several also look set to go to the wire. Bet Liverpool and Valencia don’t think this has become boring!

Of course a change of format should not be ruled out. Perhaps 4 groups of 8 with one off ties, ensuring some of the big guns play each other early may make the earlier stages tastier. Totally against straight knock out, as you may find smaller teams parking the proverbial bus in front of thir goal and playing for the lottery of penalties. Whatever the future holds please don’t call the champions league boring!
19. Ben | November 11th, 2007 at 12:49 am

predictable…yes.
No way can anyone tell me that it is boring to watch 8-0, 7-0,7-1 wins from our very own english teams. or that you dont enjoy the occasional clash of the titans when you get two teams slogging it out for 90 minutes to be seperated by a moment of sheer genius from the likes of ronaldo, kaka and fabregas.

So as a competition it is predictable

but as a stage for the beautiful game showcased by the best in the world…its unbeatable
20. Acerz | November 11th, 2007 at 7:29 pm

Let Redknapp first win something major, especially in Europe, then he can talk about what it feels/looks like
21. Matthew | November 13th, 2007 at 7:13 pm

i think its a farce now. i’m not happy with michel platini’s ideas with the domestic cup winners going in . no offence to teams like west ham , newcastle , middlesborough but thats not the champions leage. we want less teams to make it more tough.
22. Paul | November 13th, 2007 at 10:23 pm

this is stupid man u and chealsy fans can go on and on about how it should only be the best that go throgh but in all fairness its the teams like arsenal and liverpool that will lose out because neather 1 of them will go through each year and clubs like that need eurpiean games. if this only champions only thing comes into play there is absalutly no chance that any team will get in to europe exept man u and chealsy which will cause only the best players moving to them e.g kaka,danil alvis,Robino causing an even more unfair game think about it.
23. Chris Munroe | July 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm

Disagree. Why shouldn’t young/reserve players get a taste of European football? How can players develop into stars if they dont get a chance to play against foreign teams? I agree its not as good as it was…& I’d agree that it should be a straight K/O tournament…it should start around the same time as the FA Cup…league winners & cup winners qualify for it…I disagree with the talk of it being predictable. Whoever thought Porto could knock out United & then go on to lift the trophy a few years back? Some games are boring, thats because the teams play like that…its not the Champions League’s fault if Lazio play shit football and cant get half their stadium full. Shorten the amount of teams competing & more teams will try harder to qualify.