Champions League qualification - what's the benefit??

[USABlue]

think the big thing now since the money isn't as big (compared to the Sky deal) is you attract better players to the club, all the top players want to play at the highest level

 

[alpha1]

I don't really get the question.

If we are not striving for that next level what's the point?

This is what I think when some posters say they aren't bothered about the UEFA Cup or League Cup.
We are Everton. We should be competing for EVERY single trophy available. If not, then we may just well as be that "small club" that some people in the game describe us as.
I would happily watch the team play 80 games a season if it meant we were successful.

 

[alpha1]

I just want to see Messi play at goodison!

And I just want to see him play in the royal blue shirt!!
It is a dream I have regularly.

 

[paulbefc]

Among other benefits, I'd be much more confident in the financial position of the club.

 

[AndyZ]

This may seem like a bizarre question, as obviously it will give us much more money than we probably achieved in the Europa League this season, along with more exposure in Europe, which in turn would lead to the ability to attract better quality players.

However, the context of my question is in relation to the benefits of qualification if this is only achieved once every now and again. Some have argued that they'd rather be in it than not, even if we didn't qualify again for years. But I'm not so sure this really makes a difference, unless we're doing it regularly.

For example, the last time we qualified was 10 years ago, and we haven't really ever had much of a sniff since. And to be fair, we only qualified for the qualifiers last time anyway, but were unsuccessful. The draw of the Champions League (surprisingly) didn't even have a positive effect on our transfer activity that summer, as we didn't attract loads of quality signings.

Look at Spurs, who have also only qualified once but got the the QF stage. Loads more money because of it, but that was about 5 years ago now and they haven't qualified since. So what was the tangible benefit for them?

I'd love to have come 4th last season, but we only made the last 16 of the Europa League, so what chance did we have of progressing to the latter stages of a much superior competition? Also, look what the Europa did to our domestic season this year, what impact would the Champions League have had?

I suppose it's true that I'd much rather have been in the Champions League this season than the Europa League. However, ideally what we need to happen to get a substantial financial benefit, more exposure on the continent and attract better quality players, is to qualify consistently, year after year.

So...although we should make CL qualification our aim every season, is there any real benefit to qualification, if it's only done once every 10 years? Discuss....

 

[Garrick]

Because IT'D BE FUN. An away day at Camp Nou would be sweet even if we do get battered.

I could totally see us being one of those 3rd place CL flunkies that go on to win Europa League.

 

[Jags..class]

The buzz of getting in the cl is worth it alone

 

[Elong]

'kinell.

What's the point of playing footy?

 

[Groucho]

The huge amounts of cash.

The top players falling over themselves to join.

The generally better football on show.

 

[blue_aussie05]

The cash would only be huge if we progressed in the competition.

If we qualified last season, how far do you think we'd have got this year, given the season we've had?

And this notion that top players would consider joining us is flawed, I think. That would only happen if we were guaranteed to qualify every year, and would possibly take a couple of consecutive qualifications to make rem realise it's not just an isolated event. Now I think 'better' players may join us, but not top ones. But I suppose it depends what the definition of a 'top player' is.

For example, if we'd have finished 4th last season, what top players do you think would be falling over themselves to join us?

 

[Pabbers]

Apart from some belter trips, it wont really mean much.

Didint exactly help spurs much.

 

[Dymak]

The cash would only be huge if we progressed in the competition.

If we qualified last season, how far do you think we'd have got this year, given the season we've had?

And this notion that top players would consider joining us is flawed, I think. That would only happen if we were guaranteed to qualify every year, and would possibly take a couple of consecutive qualifications to make rem realise it's not just an isolated event. Now I think 'better' players may join us, but not top ones. But I suppose it depends what the definition of a 'top player' is.

For example, if we'd have finished 4th last season, what top players do you think would be falling over themselves to join us?

People like Romalu Lukaku. Everyone realises that a single Champions League qualification won't transform us into Bayern Munich over night, it takes time to evolve, but the only way you are going to evolve into a bigger club is through playing in Europe's premier competition, there aren't any other ways to go about it.

 

[evo1878]

I don't really get the question.

If we are not striving for that next level what's the point?

Sadly until there is a huge financial correction the next level is no longer achievable. I'm not being defeatist. I'd love to see is in Europe every year whatever the competition we're in cos trips in Europe is for us fans.

The premier league and uefa have effectively already closed the financial door to anyone else joining the financial elite. In just about every major European league the same teams qualify every season. In England that means every year unless they do something really stupid then Chelsea, City, arsenal will qualify. It's then a marginal battle between Man U, RS, and Spurs. But realistically it's only a battle between Man U / RS and their own incompetence not using their money wisely. From 5th to 15th in the premier league its a league in its own. Even when we're awful like this season we'll finish about 9-10th. If we have a great season we'll finish 5-6th and average season will be 7-8th.

From 16th in the premier league to 15th in championship there is another league and that's arguably the only true competitive bit about football right now because small clubs like Ipswich, QPR, Norwich, Watford, Burnley, crystal palace, hull, Sunderland, and Leicester compete equally and virtually all swap divisions every other season. Occasionally the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham, Wigan, Blackpool, and Brentford have freakish rises beyond their financial resources for a couple of years and that keeps things competitive. But generally the premier league money means if you finish 5-15th for 5 successive seasons then yes there are freaky results every season but overall that's where you'll finish every season from then on providing you don't do anything stupid like 3 managers in a season.

And sadly that's where Everton are and will always be. So there is no next level but personally its the trips to kharkhiv, Olomouc, Berne, Bergen, Lille, Lisbon, Amsterdam and the rest that's what matters to me and my mates, that's what we reminisce about, and what makes watching Everton enjoyable - not worrying about the club financially or fretting about the next level. So give me Europa league for 4-5 trips (ie before its invaded and ruined as a fair competition by uefa's european elite) every 2-3 seasons and I'm a happy evertonian.

 

[Dymak]

Sadly until there is a huge financial correction the next level is no longer achievable. I'm not being defeatist. I'd love to see is in Europe every year whatever the competition we're in cos trips in Europe is for us fans.

The premier league and uefa have effectively already closed the financial door to anyone else joining the financial elite. In just about every major European league the same teams qualify every season. In England that means every year unless they do something really stupid then Chelsea, City, arsenal will qualify. It's then a marginal battle between Man U, RS, and Spurs. But realistically it's only a battle between Man U / RS and their own incompetence not using their money wisely. From 5th to 15th in the premier league its a league in its own. Even when we're awful like this season we'll finish about 9-10th. If we have a great season we'll finish 5-6th and average season will be 7-8th.

From 16th in the premier league to 15th in championship there is another league and that's arguably the only true competitive bit about football right now because small clubs like Ipswich, QPR, Norwich, Watford, Burnley, crystal palace, hull, Sunderland, and Leicester compete equally and virtually all swap divisions every other season. Occasionally the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham, Wigan, Blackpool, and Brentford have freakish rises beyond their financial resources for a couple of years and that keeps things competitive. But generally the premier league money means if you finish 5-15th for 5 successive seasons then yes there are freaky results every season but overall that's where you'll finish every season from then on providing you don't do anything stupid like 3 managers in a season.

And sadly that's where Everton are and will always be. So there is no next level but personally its the trips to kharkhiv, Olomouc, Berne, Bergen, Lille, Lisbon, Amsterdam and the rest that's what matters to me and my mates, that's what we reminisce about, and what makes watching Everton enjoyable - not worrying about the club financially or fretting about the next level. So give me Europa league for 4-5 trips (ie before its invaded and ruined as a fair competition by uefa's european elite) every 2-3 seasons and I'm a happy evertonian.

And yet Everton have been extremely unlucky not to qualify for Europe's premier competition on two occasions within the last 10 years. I agree that those clubs have an advantage, and that we are at a disadvantage, but I don't agree that it is impossible.

If we had a bit more luck then we would have qualified twice in the last 10 years. I appreciate that we didn't and we haven't, but luck played its part in both 2005 and 2014.

 

[TippEverton]

This thread - what's the benefit??