Rafa Protecting His Own Interests Over Proposed Champions League Changes?
Surprisingly enough, Rafa Benitez isn’t a big fan of the proposed Champions League play-off system. Well ok, so it’s not actually surprising at all really.
I mean, if it was this year he probably wouldn’t have too many complaints because it would at least give him a chance at getting into the Champions League but if you go back a few years, it’s a bit clearer. You see, they’ve relied on that fourth place slot themselves at times and if it went back to just 3 automatic places available they could have missed out five times from the last ten competitions. No wonder Rafa’s against it.
Anyway, the FSW says “I have to agree with (Everton manager) David Moyes. He said what would it mean for a team like Tottenham if they finish fourth and, after a fantastic season, have to play a team who finishes seventh maybe 20 points behind just to keep the competition alive? To play three, maybe four fixtures, when you don’t have time with international football – when will you play, how can you play these games and what does it mean for the team that finishes fourth? If for example you have a fantastic season, say Aston Villa finish fourth and has to play seventh which finished 20 points behind it may be Birmingham. Or Liverpool has to play Everton fourth and seventh or fifth I think it will be a mess.”
A mess indeed Rafa, particularly if Everton spanked you eh? Clearly he’s right though isn’t he? I mean how can it be fair to have a club in the Champions League when they might have finished several points adrift? It’s not as if Liverpool have ever qualified in 4th spot with such a gulf between them and 3rd place is it….Oh no wait….
Anyway, enough of the hypocrisy because right on cue, we have the usual Rafa rant as he goes on “Maybe we can do the same with the teams at the bottom of the table. If you finish fourth maybe you could play with the team who finished third from the bottom (er, aren’t they called play-offs in every other league?). Then during the whole season we can play 50 games and we don’t have to rest so that will be fantastic. We can be in the office analysing the fixtures and creating different schedules and different things and the players will be injured. If we continue playing games we will end up playing three games a week – which is fantastic for the television companies. We are playing too much now. They were talking about the 39th game being played in Asia so if we now play the play-offs we will be playing until the end of the century.”
Ok, ok, you get his drift? No? Good job he keeps going then….”I think we have to be realistic. We have too many injuries in all the European top sides because we play too many games, we have too many games during the year, too many competitions with the World Cup, Confederations Cup, African Cup and now we want to play more games. When? I don’t know when and I don’t see the point to play. So I think we have to continue with the team that finishes in fourth position and that’s it.”
Have to admit he lost me a bit in the end with the Confederations Cup and African Cup of Nations (which obviously have a huge impact on Liverpool) because surely we’re just talking about a couple of play-off games here, not some new competition to be added to the football calendar but at a guess I’d say he won’t be giving the whole idea the thumbs up!
Chelsea News 24/7
how many times havw u won the champions league??? money cant buy u everything i guess kepp dreaming of european success
if he`d have said he was all for it you could have printed a different article attacking him under the same headline – still hurts eh boys!
Why let the facts get in the way of a mindless rant, eh? “Liverpool have relied on 4th place at times..” Under Rafa Liverpool finished 4th just once.
Have to admit he lost YOU a bit?…..YOU lost me too….cause whatever he says you twist and turn into your own comotosed mind……5 EURO CUPS!!!!!…how many have you won? a BIG zilch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YNWA
lol – you’re right, it certainly won’t be buying you lot a Champions League spot this season.
rob1 – I don’t remember specifying ‘under Rafa’, I think the point was that if we went back to just 3 automatic places, it wouldn’t benefit Liverpool judging by the final tables from the last ten seasons. Are you suggesting that isn’t a fact?
Interestingly enough I came across this post on a Liverpool board.
If you actaully read what RB says it makes sense, why should a team that finishes in 4th place have to fight it out with someone who finishes in 7th. If you follow your logic then surely there is a case for ALL top teams to go into a play off – for the title, CL places and even relegation – oh hang on a minute they do ITS CALLED THE LEAGUE FORMAT!
Go back to supporting QPR or Gillingham where most of you came from!
Not sure why this is written in a smug way. Chelsea finished 3rd last year behind us in second. why should 3rd get a champions league spot and not 4th or 7th. The only argument is whether teams other than the winners should get in and if the answer is ‘no’ you would have only qualified three times in your entire history!!
I think it is simple… you play 39 games and that should be enough to know who is who. If you think you need more games to know who should be 4th then extend the number of league games to include more but a playoff is not fair after playing to win a higher position for 39 games. Is it fair if a team loses to a team that ended the season 15/20 points behind 4th but because of a fluke they beat a team who ended the season higher up the table? Would this then end the fight to get to 3rd place for the teams 7th – 4th ? Be careful what you set in motion because it can backfire…
A very interesting take on things..Stretching stats to 10 years does not paint Chelsea in good light either considering 2004 was the second time they qualified to play in the cup for European Champions on merit of being Champions of their domestic league..you cant look at 4th as consolation given that 2nd place is really first loser and shld not play against champions..qualifying for champions league without being champions shld really mean even 2nd place shld play off shld every see any sense in this play off idea, in the 10 years stated..Chelsea qualified for Europe as champions only twice and the rest of the time.. Everyone who ridicules liverpool does not see the bigger picture. When liverpool were not playing regurlal in Europe, England had 3 automatic spots, is it not a coincidence that when liverpool became regulars, England then got the 4th spot off Germany?
rowan – you’re absolutely right, as far as I’ve always been concerned the CL should be for 1st and 2nd place finishes because realistically, these are usually the only two sides who have really been deserving of a place. Yes,that would have counted us out last season and we would’ve had to live with that – just like Liverpool would have had to on all but two occasions over the last decade.
But that’s not the proposal is it? We still would’ve qualified last season under the proposed changes so I’m not sure what your point was there.
Interesting – of course 4th place is a consolation. 1st and 2nd places are the sides realistically spending most of the season fighting it out for top spot.
For years Liverpool concentrated their efforts much more in Europe and as far as the PL went, as long as they finished 3rd or 4th and got a CL place, that was enough for them.
There’s nowhere near the gulf in points between the top two that there is between them and 4th place. So maybe getting rid of 3rd and 4th place is what it’ll take to have a much more competitive PL again instead of it being the usual two-horse race every season? Surely that would only be a good thing?
liverpool or arsenal are goin to b d two sides batling 2qualify.but looking at d table right now and take a look at d situation of things in EPL 4d past 10seasons liverpool wil b d one likely to mis out
My point was that if only the champions (this does not include second place. look up ‘winner’ in the dictionary if necassary) qualified for the champions league then you would have only qualified three times in your ENTIRE history. The league didnt begin when Mr Abramovic took over and turned your club into something it never deserved to be.
rowan – I love how people remember our ‘history’ so well yet they can’t seem to recall us being in Europe before Abramovich. Strange really.
not strange at all. Did you get into europe as champions?
…..didnt think so!
Again rowan I don’t remember the post being about that but seeing as you ask, no we didn’t.
I’ve never been one to shy away from admitting that whilst we were capable of qualifying for Europe pre-Roman, it was his money that allowed us to compete financially with those above us and actually win the titles.
Mind you, its not as if Liverpool can claim to get into Europe as champions in recent times either – and even that record we’ve had shoved down our throats for donkeys could go this season if we don’t do them a favour………have to say that in itself could make finishing 2nd much more bearable, lol.
The post is about Rafa looking after his own interests and rejecting talk of an CL playoff. my point is that unless you make it just for champions a playoff is an unfair way of deciding who goes into the league. something that given the fact you have only finished as champions three times you should appreciate. on your final point i have to say that i am actually cheering on Chelsea in every game this season just so the mancs dont overtake us!
Your article is a biased, nonsensical rant.
Benitez pointed out that this proposed system was an unfair way of awarding the last CL space and he was spot on.
He also pointed out that teams do not need to play anymore football on top of what is already being played and again he was spot on.
Take your blue tinted specs off Chelsea D.
Rafa Protecting His Own Interests?!
NO $H*T SHERLOCK!!!
It’s exactly what you would do (& you have done regarding other matters) in the same situation, morons. You Chavs really P*SS ME OFF!!!
What is it with you people??? I constantly see (chelsea) links on the Liverpool section of newsnow because your constantly talking (writing) about us. Are you fuc**ing obsessed with us or what??? Whatever it is, let it go. Let it lie. It’s over.
You are so undeserving of your success. It really grates on me!!
At least if you were humble fans with a sense of balance & perspective in your views, I could accept you how you’ve come about your success. However, 99.9% of you are nothing of the sort.
I might hate Man United like no other but I respect them. As I do Arsenal, Everton, etc, etc. They at one time or other have EARNED their successes through great chairmen/managers/coaches making great judgements & decisions.
You on the other hand, have been like someone whose been on the dole (queue hilarious & highly original jokes) all his life & suddenly wakes up oneday to find he has the winning lottery ticket & now wants to shove it in everyones face.
My advice to you chavs is to 1st be self critical before you spout your opinions to the rest of the world.
However, if you can’t even do that, then at least be wary of how you treat people on the way up cos you will most certainly meet them again on the way back down.
The 4th place is down to our high European coefficient. It will be removed should our 4 teams fail to compete consistently against the likes of Spain, Germany, Italy etc. Liverpool (albeit last year) where the highest rated in European competition for the previous 5 years. Adding a Birmingham or Tottingham to the qualification process, could mean they don’t get to the league stage and put that place in jepady a la Everton in 2006. Me 2 c’s.
He is absolutely right
It is idiotic to do this playoff
The season is long enough
Make it 4th place and move on.
If teams want the spot, win the 4th spot
Simple enough
One question, How about a play off between first and second in the league table at the end of the season to determine the champion? Wouldn’t that be interesting, no, i thought so too.
I’d rather see F.A cup winner get the fourth spot than the play off winner . If you want to make it competitive, make it for all the clubs in england and not just for the top 20. What if team from the league one won it(although i don’t remember team outside the premere league winning it in recent history), that’s my point what if the 7th team won the play off.
And liverpool fans please don’t defend your manager every time, he is not always right(he is right about play off though). Liverpool fans cheering chelsea, uh… IMO as long as R.Benitez is the manager then you guys would have to cheer liverpool and either chelsea or arsenal.