Phillip Buckley
Aston Villa’s decision to send a skeleton squad to Moscow for their tie with CSKA Moscow only served to show the status the competition now has in the eyes of many. Villa coach Martin O’Neill clearly feels that his side are unable to manage an assault on both the UEFA Cup and the top four of the Premier League. To treat such an esteemed European trophy in such a way was unforgivable, but what O’Neill did was no different to the approach other clubs have adopted in this year’s tournament. The question which UEFA must answer is; how will they restore the UEFA Cup to its rightful standing?
The UEFA Cup is already due to undergo something of a makeover for next season, probably the most obvious of which is the renaming of the competition. The Europa League is, unfortunately, more like a rearranging of the deckchairs on the titanic than real palpable change. UEFA are still keen on the idea that their second tier competition should contain a group element like the Champions League, and so the Europa League will begin proper with 12 groups of four teams. Only after that will the knockout stages swing into action, identical to the current format, beginning with a Round of 32.
Many would argue that what really undermined the UEFA Cup was the expansion of the Champions League. When the European Cup contained only the champions of each league the UEFA Cup was arguably the more difficult competition to win, containing more clubs who were in truth not far behind the champions in their own countries. The UEFA Cup was also viewed as an important stopping off point. If a team could win the UEFA Cup, then it certainly had a chance of winning the European Cup should it qualify.
Once the Champions League was revamped UEFA were keen that clubs finishing third in their group should drop into the UEFA Cup. Their reasoning for this must have seemed clear, not only did it sweeten the Champions League deal by allowing those that dropped out the prospect of European football beyond Christmas, but it would also strengthen the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately for UEFA this move simply devalued the UEFA Cup. Allowing teams that had already failed in Europe to parachute into the latter rounds was an insult to all those clubs who had taken part from the beginning. The Champions League rejects weren’t particularly enamoured with it either, most viewing the UEFA Cup as scant consolation from losing their place in the cash cow latter Champions League rounds. And their focus immediately set upon securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
Another step in the demise of the UEFA Cup is often overlooked as it can be argued to have been a sensible move. The decision to make the final a one-off match came in 1998 and although there have certainly been some classic encounters since the move was made – such as the 4-3 thriller won by Liverpool against Alaves – , the loss of the two-legged final structure carved some of the competition’s identity away. Every move that makes the UEFA Cup more like the Champions League devalues it. The tournament needs, and indeed had at its height, its own identity.
UEFA cannot have been displeased with the quality of UEFA Cup winners recently, but perhaps their opponents could cause them to pause for thought. Last season Zenit St.Petersburg saw off Scottish side Rangers comfortably. The Glasgow side simply did not possess the quality to hurt the Russian champions, and, for all their running, never convinced that they should be in a European final.
Prior to last season’s final Sevilla won the famous trophy for two seasons running. Their first victory was against a poor Middlesbrough side. The English team, led by Steve McClaren, had finished the season in 14th place in the Premier League. Sitting a mere 11 points above the relegation zone (the points total to survive that season had been unusually low at 35), Middlesborough had lost 17 times. In the final they put up predictably little resistance, going down 4-0. For Sevilla’s second triumph retaining the trophy came through defeating an average Espanyol side, the final only standing out for the fact it was an all Spanish affair.
Winning the UEFA Cup simply isn’t seen as a huge achievement anymore, especially in larger Western European leagues. In Eastern Europe it still holds its appeal because it offers more of a level playing field and a chance to beat wealthier clubs from wealthier leagues. When CSKA Moscow lifted the trophy in 2005 they returned home to a private reception with president Vladimir Putin. It is impossible to imagine such fanfare in London or Berlin.
What is to be done with the UEFA Cup then? Or, as it shall be known, the Europa League. Firstly, UEFA needs to stop trying to mould the competition into the form of its big brother the Champions League. The Europa League is UEFA’s second tier competition and it needs to be distinct from the Champions League. The pretence that the tournament can even be compared to its more illustrious brother needs to stop. So, purely for cosmetic reasons, the word League needs to be dropped from the title.
Along with this the group stage should be scrapped and the competition revert to the traditional two-legged knockout affairs. Group stages by their nature eventually throw up “dead” matches of little or no consequence to either side. Unlike the Champions League, which richly rewards every win with a sizeable cash bonus, the UEFA Cup does not have the same luxury. Knockout games in every round would hold people’s interest for much longer and make every match meaningful, something the tournament desperately needs.
Assuming that UEFA doesn’t intend to trim down the amount of sides involved in the Champions League, then it should trim down the amount involved in the Europa League. Associations classed by UEFA as having the strongest leagues, one to six, will send three clubs to the tournament. The associations’ seven to nine will send four, and beyond that the remainder will send three. In the interests of a streamlined competition no country should send more than two clubs. One place should go to the domestic cup winners, and a second through their league. Less teams can mean greater quality, however, even if it does not, it can mean more exclusivity, and that is what the Europa League will definitely require. Whilst the Champions League is in its last 16 phase after Christmas it is simply absurd that the UEFA Cup should still have 32 participants.
Continuing with the theme of exclusivity, the practice of teams finishing third in their Champions League group being parachuted into the UEFA Cup should end. If a club enters the Champions League they should not be able to switch horses midstream, and even more so they should not be rewarded for failure.
Finally, the icing on the cake and the ace UEFA has up its sleeve to increase the stature of the competition should be the granting of a Champions League place to the winners of the UEFA Cup. This should not be a direct entry into the group stages, but a pass through to either the second or third qualifying round. This way the UEFA Cup winners would still have to “earn” their right to enter the group stages, even more so if they are left unseeded for the draw.
The argument that the UEFA Cup winner’s presence would devalue both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup is easily answered. The Champions League ceased to be for domestic champions long ago, and surely the winners of the UEFA Cup would have more right to call themselves champions than teams finishing fourth in England, Spain and Italy. The UEFA Cup could cope with the loss of the holders because it is an accepted fact that the Champions League is the primary competition. The precedent of teams winning the UEFA Cup, but choosing not to defend it the next season due to securing a Champions League spot has already been set.
The Champions League is the strongest and most influential weapon UEFA have when it comes to club football. Its expansion has crippled the UEFA Cup, now it can contribute towards its resurrection. Then the idea of Martin O’Neill sending a group of youngsters to Moscow to duel with CSKA would be a pipe dream.
Whatever UEFA do they must act quickly. The Europa League is not the answer and failure to revamp the tournament will soon see it go the way of the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. No one in Europe wants that.
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