Champions League seeding changes

[IW8Goalmachine]

http://talksport.com/football/new-champ ... 0422144166

Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City will all miss out on being among the top seeds in the Champions League next season if they qualify and Chelsea win the Premier League title.

UEFA has confirmed a new seeding system which will see the champions of the seven biggest leagues in Europe named as top seeds along with the Champions League winner.

Chelsea are 10 points clear in the Premier League race and look odds on to be title winners and be among the eight top seeds in the Champions League draw in August.

Arsenal and United would both almost certainly be among a strong group of second seeds due to their high UEFA club ranking but City have dropped out of the top 16 clubs according to UEFA's latest co-efficients.

It would be the first time more for than a decade that Arsenal and United have not been top seeds.

City were not top seeds last August despite being English champions while Chelsea and Arsenal were, and Manuel Pellegrini's side ended up with another tough draw against Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow and Roma.

If the Champions League winner is also their domestic league winner, then the champions of the eighth-ranked association Holland - likely to be PSV Eindhoven - would be named as top seeds.

UEFA's new Champions League regulations have been published and state: "The first group comprises the title holder (top seed) and the domestic champions of the seven top-ranked associations in accordance with the access list.

"If the title holder is one of the top seven associations' domestic champions, the group is completed with the champion of the association ranked eight."

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said: "Football is about winning, it's about competition, it's about sporting merit. I think it's kind of a natural thing to give to those who have won a competition a special treatment like this.


Read more at http://talksport.com/football/new-champ ... YEkEtLr.99

[IW8Goalmachine]

knocked out earlier than usual next year

[Leyton Gooner]

Might make the group stage more interesting anyway

[Gunnersaurus]

Don't care and actually think we don't deserve to be in the top seeded pot anyway.

Maybe this will force the manager to strengthen in Aug.

[g88ner]

It's a farce that we ever top seeds in the first place.

We haven't been in the top 2 in our league for a decade and we've had zero impact on the CL in years!

[Nuggets]

It seems like we are only in the CL to make the numbers up we have no fooking chance of winning this whilst the arrogant useless Wonga is in charge.

[GranadaJoe]

I think it could lead to some very contrasting groups.

If the champions of the leagues rated seventh or eighth get drawn with a weaker second seed we could have groups looking like a Europa League group, while other groups could have three strong teams.

It could even benefit us if we get drawn with the champions of Ukraine, Holland or Russia.

[remigardeshair]

knocked out earlier than usual next year

Given that we usually finish second in the group anyway, it won't make any real difference to our customary 'brave' round of 16 exit.

[Eboue-Why?]

Ask me if I'm interested...

[Offside]

Who cares?

A slightly harder group which we will get out off followed by a last 16 exit.

[rodders999]

Even more important for Stanley is now that Juve have got to this seasons semi finals if the Italian clubs were to out perform the English teams again in next years tournament the top 4 trophy will be no more

Serie A will get a fourth spot and the premier league will get cut to 3 teams qualifying due to UEFA co-efficients.

Top 3 trophy it is then

[Gunner Rob]

quite ironic should we finish 2nd ( highest league finish for a decade) but yet then have our lowest seeding for a decade!

[BFG4]

knocked out earlier than usual next year

Didnt Wenger say after the Monaco game that he wanted to play in the Europa league, so dream come through for him

[StuartL]

It's a farce that we ever top seeds in the first place.

We haven't been in the top 2 in our league for a decade and we've had zero impact on the CL in years!

Are you dissing our " remarkable consistancy ? "

consistantly average for years and years.

[SteveO 35]

We're now even more guaranteed to finish second in the group......I'll put us down for glorious 2nd leg failure in the Round of 16 next Feb/March