2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League

[OneTrueLegend]

Qualification begins this week for Premier League teams for the, 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). The winner of the League Cup now goes into this UECL instead of the Europa League.

The Premier league team will have to do 1 round of qualifying before a group stage. The group stages are seeded, the winners of the group then go into a last 16. 2nd place in the groups play off against 3rd place in the europa League grups to go into the last 16, then its a standard 2 leg home and away until the final. Winner of the UECL go straight into a Europa League group stage the following season.

The knock on affect for this is that the Premier League now gets 2 places in the Europa League, instead of 3, but both places are in the group stage and dont have to qualify and the Europa League is cut from 48 to 32 teams. Also the winners from Each Europa League group goes through to the last 16 and 2nd place play off against the champions league 3rd place teams.

I think this is a much better format than the current Europa League. Below is more information on it via BBC and Wiki.

Carabao Cup: Uefa Europa Conference League place awaits winners

Premier League teams join the Carabao Cup at the second-round stage knowing the tournament's winners will enter a new European competition.

www.bbc.com

2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

One thing that I dont think has been announced yet is what Trophy the winner of the UECL will get. I am hoping it is the old Cup Winners Cup, but they may go with something new and bigger

 

[DOMNOLAN]

They could have just made it a cup competition in its own right, but they had to catagorically place it below the europa league... it could have been a worthwhile competition, but the credibility it had has been taken in my view. Now it’s just a glorified qualifying competition

 

[OneTrueLegend]

They could have just made it a cup competition in its own right, but they had to catagorically place it below the europa league... it could have been a worthwhile competition, but the credibility it had has been taken in my view. Now it’s just a glorified qualifying competition

I think it's a bit of a compromise, which is no real surprise, these decisions are voted on by the uefa members. At the time the big clubs wanted less qualifying, more high profile games and more of the cash. The lower ranked teams wanted more of an opportunity to compete in a European competition. I think this new format tries to solve those issues, I think it probably makes the Europa league stronger. I think the new UECL would be a more saleable asset if the top nations were gaurenteed group stage, because the advertisers and sponsors would probably prefer that, so I'm surprised that was not done

 

[degsy]

Qualification begins this week for Premier League teams for the, 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). The winner of the League Cup now goes into this UECL instead of the Europa League.

The Premier league team will have to do 1 round of qualifying before a group stage. The group stages are seeded, the winners of the group then go into a last 16. 2nd place in the groups play off against 3rd place in the europa League grups to go into the last 16, then its a standard 2 leg home and away until the final. Winner of the UECL go straight into a Europa League group stage the following season.

The knock on affect for this is that the Premier League now gets 2 places in the Europa League, instead of 3, but both places are in the group stage and dont have to qualify and the Europa League is cut from 48 to 32 teams. Also the winners from Each Europa League group goes through to the last 16 and 2nd place play off against the champions league 3rd place teams.

I think this is a much better format than the current Europa League. Below is more information on it via BBC and Wiki.

Carabao Cup: Uefa Europa Conference League place awaits winners

Premier League teams join the Carabao Cup at the second-round stage knowing the tournament's winners will enter a new European competition.

www.bbc.com

2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

One thing that I dont think has been announced yet is what Trophy the winner of the UECL will get. I am hoping it is the old Cup Winners Cup, but they may go with something new and bigger

Micky Mouse tournament for a Micky Mouse cup

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Would love us to qualify and win it - 1st ever winners would look nice on the record books.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

Micky Mouse tournament for a Micky Mouse cup

I would like Everton to win the League Cup, its been so long since 1995. realistically we are not in a position to with the Premier League, so we should be having a go in the Cups. Finishing top 6 is nice, but I want silverware.

This UECL is a bit of an unknown quantity, but it is still I think it would be good for the fans to have a European adventure again, I went on some of the away days in 2008 and they were great. Realistically if Everton were in it they would be one of the top 6 teams in the group stage and should go a long way into the competition.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

I think it's a bit of a compromise, which is no real surprise, these decisions are voted on by the uefa members. At the time the big clubs wanted less qualifying, more high profile games and more of the cash. The lower ranked teams wanted more of an opportunity to compete in a European competition. I think this new format tries to solve those issues, I think it probably makes the Europa league stronger. I think the new UECL would be a more saleable asset if the top nations were gaurenteed group stage, because the advertisers and sponsors would probably prefer that, so I'm surprised that was not done

Sounds like a competition where the lucky teams either won't qualify or get knocked out early to me, possibly any 'bigger' side used to better will treat it with absolute contempt and field a reserve team even in the final, that is if they've already qualified for the champions league or Europa. As the league cup final invariably is between two top six teams anyway, in effect the 7th and 8th in the league might be lucky enough to get to play the champions of the rock of Gibraltar.

A competition to try and let virtually everyone compete in Europe

 

[havrey0123]

Basically the domestic equivalent of the nations league.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

Sounds like a competition where the lucky teams either won't qualify or get knocked out early to me, possibly any 'bigger' side used to better will treat it with absolute contempt and field a reserve team even in the final, that is if they've already qualified for the champions league or Europa. As the league cup final invariably is between two top six teams anyway, in effect the 7th and 8th in the league might be lucky enough to get to play the champions of the rock of Gibraltar.

A competition to try and let virtually everyone compete in Europe

I think much like the Europa League is used as a place for the champions league teams to drop into when they get knocked out in the groups, this new competition will have the 3rd place teams drop in from the Europa league, so its like a safety net for the europa league.

I think it gives the smaller nations the illusion of them being able to be involved more in europe, but actually I think it will be so difficult, just to get to the group stage they will have to go through 3 knock out rounds and then be in a group with 3 teams with higher ranking than them. The countires in the UECL will probably from the top 18 countries, as these will have 32 teams in the competition and many of them join later in the qualification.

I can see some PL sides using it to give young players a run out, which Everton did in the Europa League years ago,I remember jake Bidwell against Bate Barisov and Jack Rodwell against Alkmaar being given a go and being young at the time.

 

[barneygumble]

I think much like the Europa League is used as a place for the champions league teams to drop into when they get knocked out in the groups, this new competition will have the 3rd place teams drop in from the Europa league, so its like a safety net for the europa league.

I think it gives the smaller nations the illusion of them being able to be involved more in europe, but actually I think it will be so difficult, just to get to the group stage they will have to go through 3 knock out rounds and then be in a group with 3 teams with higher ranking than them. The countires in the UECL will probably from the top 18 countries, as these will have 32 teams in the competition and many of them join later in the qualification.

I can see some PL sides using it to give young players a run out, which Everton did in the Europa League years ago,I remember jake Bidwell against Bate Barisov and Jack Rodwell against Alkmaar being given a go and being young at the time.

It was designed because of the pool of teams really mate, and to protect the big clubs.

If a team like Tottenham or Milan take the last spot, then they're playing a stupid amount of games in the Europa. They're desperate to please them.

For the Conference League, it works to some extent because some teams from the likes of Poland, Czech Republic will get a crack at being in Europe post CHristmas. But if i look at the Europa in recent years, sides from Luxembourg and Ireland have qualified and faced some big sides. Now, they'll lose that potential money spinner and enjoyment of playing at the likes of the San Siro.

For teams like us, it creates an illusion that we've got a real crack of winning it. Which we may, but we'd still potentially face big teams from a drop down, and so may the teams from Cyprus etc... so they've not got a chance.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

I think much like the Europa League is used as a place for the champions league teams to drop into when they get knocked out in the groups, this new competition will have the 3rd place teams drop in from the Europa league, so its like a safety net for the europa league.

I think it gives the smaller nations the illusion of them being able to be involved more in europe, but actually I think it will be so difficult, just to get to the group stage they will have to go through 3 knock out rounds and then be in a group with 3 teams with higher ranking than them. The countires in the UECL will probably from the top 18 countries, as these will have 32 teams in the competition and many of them join later in the qualification.

I can see some PL sides using it to give young players a run out, which Everton did in the Europa League years ago,I remember jake Bidwell against Bate Barisov and Jack Rodwell against Alkmaar being given a go and being young at the time.

Yes that will almost certainly be the case imo. It's useful for the kids to gain European experience, and definitely a positive for the fans to enjoy an adventure into Europe, but largely detrimental to the first team's prospects for meaningful progress the following season. I'm all for winning the league cup but this is a heavy price to pay. They should qualify it slightly and give the league cup winners the choice of entering it or not, perhaps instead obliging the side that finishes bottom of the league to go in their place - an incentive for those relegated not to be rock bottom?

In domestic terms it has similarities to that football league competition the league one and two sides enter with some of the premier league's reserve teams. To those in the lower divisions, the likes of Tranmere or Accrington it's a cup and a chance of a day out at Wembley, but winning it brings little prestige and noone notices.

 

[H.H.]

Sounds like a competition where the lucky teams either won't qualify or get knocked out early to me, possibly any 'bigger' side used to better will treat it with absolute contempt and field a reserve team even in the final, that is if they've already qualified for the champions league or Europa. As the league cup final invariably is between two top six teams anyway, in effect the 7th and 8th in the league might be lucky enough to get to play the champions of the rock of Gibraltar.

A competition to try and let virtually everyone compete in Europe

You've probably also seen through this cos all it is is "a long game" to kill domestic football with the end goal of European Leagues.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Assuming as usual both finals are contested by teams from the top six then the solution is to make absolutely sure we finish in the top six ourselves, as it does make the Europa League a far better slimmed down competition. If you don't make the top six in this scenario then there's a massive price to pay for seventh or eighth, and it's possibly far better finishing ninth.

 

[H.H.]

Assuming as usual both finals are contested by teams from the top six then the solution is to make absolutely sure we finish in the top six ourselves, as it does make the Europa League a far better slimmed down competition. If you don't make the top six in this scenario then there's a massive price to pay for seventh or eighth, and it's possibly far better FINISHING NINTH.

Finally a good result for us lol