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Premier League ponders CL playoff place play-off


Mr. Gayle

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The Premier League is considering introducing a play-off system to determine the fourth club to qualify for the following season's European Champions League.

Currently the club which finishes fourth goes through but the new proposal would mean a play-off between the clubs finishing fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. The intention is to inject more competition into a league in which qualification has for years remained in the hands of the same four clubs.

Premier League sources have confirmed that the play-off proposal was presented at the most recent meeting of all clubs, on 4 February, and the league's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, was authorised to return with further details in April.

It is understood that the idea was enthusiastically supported by all clubs – except the so-called big four of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Scudamore, and the league's secretary, Mike Foster, will examine the practicalities of how a play-off system could work: whether it should take the form of a home-and-away knockout system, similar to that in the Football League, or incorporate seeding. They will also look into when matches could be fitted into a crowded fixture calendar before making recommendations.

The idea was presented as part of the Premier League's strategic review of its format and operations and springs from two particular motivations. The first is to crack the problem of England's top league becoming less open and competitive, with the richest clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, having strengthened their hold on the top four places over several years. One league source said it was an odd twist that the idea has been raised now, in a season when Liverpool's claim to the fourth place is being seriously challenged.

The response among clubs outside the top four is understood to have been positive, with some believing that a play-off system would create more competitive matches and give more clubs a prize to challenge for. Most clubs now feel they have no chance of attaining fourth place but almost the whole Premier League could be brought into a competition to finish seventh and make it to the play-offs. The medium-sized clubs, which increasingly aspire to break the cartel, are said to have been enthusiastic, seeing play-offs as a great opportunity.

The big four, who have been qualifying on merit at the end of each season and reaping the footballing and financial rewards of Champions League participation are understood to have been less keen. Self-interest is clearly a factor, with those clubs concerned about protecting their own advantages. However, there is also a feeling that the league should be more sophisticated about addressing its major challenges, particularly the financial ones, rather than incorpor-ating an awkward play-off system for a prize as ostensibly moderate as fourth place.

The other motivation for the play-offs is a waning of the proposal for an international round of matches, dubbed "Game 39", which was widely criticised for lacking coherence and being territorially expansionist. The play-offs would mean extra matches, which would be sold to pay-television and so generate more money for all clubs.

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This is just a way to get another big game into Wembley

the champions league qualification is too open as it is. having 4th place teams in the CL is stupid having 7 place is also stupid.

but the fat is the competition has already been bastardized already so it wont make much difference

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Champions league should just be the winners of each league. Straight K/O ting.

I never got this stupid theory

It aint shakespeare times

Whats not to get? 'Champions' League

Not 4th and up competition

and make it knock out like it used to be, not in its currently ridiculous state where you don't even have to win your last two games against diabolical teams because you've already blitzed your group

Failing that, give the winners of the cups entry to the CL

1st In the PL - CL Entry

Carling Cup - CL Entry

FA Cup - Cl Entry

that way the cups would actually matter to teams, instead of putting out the youngsters XI in the cups because they apparently dont matter, the british cups have been devalued massively tbh

But its a competition that is run so the money making potential can be maximized so it won't change

Just scraping 4th every year to continue your stream of revenue from the cl isn't wht I want to see

but as I said, money

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The day I see a team like Wigan have one of their "out of the blue" seasons (pun), come 7th on goal difference but still only be around 10 points clear of the relegation zone, get into the CL through some jammy playoff goal and then next season I see Titus bramble named on a team sheet against Barcelona in the League of Champions I will dun my own dance.

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The day I see a team like Wigan have one of their "out of the blue" seasons (pun), come 7th on goal difference but still only be around 10 points clear of the relegation zone, get into the CL through some jammy playoff goal and then next season I see Titus bramble named on a team sheet against Barcelona in the League of Champions I will dun my own dance.

half way there

newcastle 0 barca 2

Newcastle: Given, Griffin, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard, Solano, Dyer, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.

Subs: Harper, Hughes, LuaLua, Ameobi, Kerr, Caldwell, Viana.

Barcelona: Valdes, Reiziger, De Boer, Andersson, Gabri, Mendieta, Motta, Xavi, Rochemback, Kluivert, Riquelme.

Subs: Bonano, Overmars, Christanval, Gerard, Oleguer, Iniesta, Sergio.

Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland)

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The day I see a team like Wigan have one of their "out of the blue" seasons (pun), come 7th on goal difference but still only be around 10 points clear of the relegation zone, get into the CL through some jammy playoff goal and then next season I see Titus bramble named on a team sheet against Barcelona in the League of Champions I will dun my own dance.

half way there

newcastle 0 barca 2

Newcastle: Given, Griffin, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard, Solano, Dyer, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.

Subs: Harper, Hughes, LuaLua, Ameobi, Kerr, Caldwell, Viana.

Barcelona: Valdes, Reiziger, De Boer, Andersson, Gabri, Mendieta, Motta, Xavi, Rochemback, Kluivert, Riquelme.

Subs: Bonano, Overmars, Christanval, Gerard, Oleguer, Iniesta, Sergio.

Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland)

dance dun\

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