Could someone explain the UEFA Cup?

[ualtim]

I understand the Champions League and how teams qualify to play in it, but for the life of me do not understand how the UEFA Cup teams are picked. I thought I had it figured out, but then read an article that said Fulham may get chosen for the next UEFA Cup draw becaus Man City got a red card in their last match. Huh? Fulhum was a CH away from being relegated and now they may get into the UEFA Cup?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I am, after all, just a Yank watching your game and still have not picked up on all the nuances of the extra Cups/Tournaments.

[Adam Pettman]

As far as I know, I have more chance of qualifying for the Uefa Cup than Fulham. This Year Everton qualified from the Premiership because they finished 5th.
Also 16 teams get in to it if they are eliminated from the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League and another 8 teams from the 3rd-placed teams from the group stage of the Champions League. Its a league for teams to play in Europe if they arent good enough to play in the Mighty Champions league.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Adam Pettman

As far as I know, I have more chance of qualifying for the Uefa Cup than Fulham. This Year Everton qualified from the Premiership because they finished 5th.
Also 16 teams get in to it if they are eliminated from the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League and another 8 teams from the 3rd-placed teams from the group stage of the Champions League. Its a league for teams to play in Europe if they arent good enough to play in the Mighty Champions league.

Thank you. I was wondering because I saw the Rangers play in the CL earlier this year and was wondering how they qualified for both the CL and UEFA.

I was not kidding about Fulham, I read an article this past week saying that they may get a UEFA bid. From the below article, it looks like they just recently announced that Man City got the bid.

FOX Sports on MSN - England -

[Adam Pettman]

Aah, I see whats haapened. City have applied for qualification, they have to start from the very begining of qualification instead of automatically qualifying.

[usa1950]

UEFA awards a "Fair Play" team with a entry into the UEFA Cup. The clubs' season long record of red cards, yellow cards, etc. determine their ranking. The most "fair" club gets a bid. Basically, this is the best behaved club, in terms of cards. Fulham were in the running for it this year. I think the big 4 (United, Chelski, The Arse, and Liverpool) were the best "fair play" teams, but they are in the Champions League next year, so UEFA kept going down the list.

It came down to City and Fulham, and City got it.... "Fair Play" to them, I suppose.

Cardiff City, had they won the FA Cup yesterday (and I wish they would have) would have been invited to the UEFA Cup, even though they play in Wales, and in a league one notch below the Premier League. Cardiff City do have the best striker in the world (or at least the best finisher I have EVER seen back in his day).... my favorite... sorry, favourite footballer of all time. Robbie Fowler. So I am a supporter of the Bluebirds by default.

Fowler - Arms outstretched.jpg

[usa1950]

tim..... you said in your original post that you thought you had it figured out.... but just in case, I will add that depending on the country (and the strength of that league) the teams that do NOT get into the Champions League, but finish right behind them in the league go straight into the UEFA Cup. Top four in England go to the CL, only the WINNER of the Scottish League goes to the CL.... cause they are crap!

The UEFA Cup is a GREAT competition. The big money of the Champions League sometimes leads to negative, conservative football (playing NOT to lose rather than to win) and God (not Fowler, the real one) knows Liverpool have been guilty of that at times.

The UEFA competition is often wide open, teams playing attacking, end to end footie. Good stuff. I wish it was on more here in the USA....

[5iron]

What i know is that good European teams come togethor and play group play. Like you play in groups of 4, you play every team once i think. You get points for goals at home and different amount of points for points at away teams stadiums. The top 2 teams in your group( maybe just the top group), advances into the knockout round of like 16 or something and then i guess you play until your the last team 16 8 4 2 1 like that, but dont trust me i mustve made a couple mistakes here, so sory about that. Manchester United and Chelsea Wenesday May 21st at 2:00 pm Eastern time for America. Again i think, but im not sure so it would be safe to look that up too.

[ualtim]

Cool, thanks for all the info guys. I originally figured that they took the next clubs down the list that didn't qualify for CL, but then I saw the Rangers in the final after I watched one of their CL games earlier this year and that Fulham article.

[ManchesterGolfer]

..It was a good Tournament a decade or so ago but UEFA (European govening body) have managed to turn it to a laughing stock of a compation now. You can qualify by league places, winning a cup, being a runner up in a cup if your the beaten finalist and the winning team has already got a european spot through the league. Confused??? Well there's more!!! There's the Fairplay league (which Fulham had a chance of qualifying by). The league with the best disaplinary record are awarded an extra spot for the fairest team in there league... again the top teams in this have already qualified so it goes down to the highest rank team yet to have a european space which was City in 5th or 6th spot in the fairplay table. Don't worry there are Still more ways to get in if you've not made it yet!!! You can enter the Intertoto cup...This is a pre-season European playoff style Tournament where the winning teams from the 2 sections get a place in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA cup. Then there's the old failsafe...How Rangers got in. If your originally in the Champions League but are not good enough to fininsh in the top two spots of your 4 team league...don't worry the 3rd place team drops into the UEFA cup at about the 3rd round stage!!!!

Basically the UEFA cup has been ****ED up by the FOOLS at UEFA. They should make qualifying for via league places or Cup Winners only. It should be the Cup style Tournamnet of Europe with no Seedings and a straight knockout format from the beggining with no teams dropping into it from the Champions league...This way it may become a half decent prize that doesn't play about 5th fiddle to the champions league.

RANT OVER!!!

[ualtim]

Clear as mud now.

[Adam Pettman]

Originally Posted by ManchesterGolfer

They should make qualifying for via league places or Cup Winners only. It should be the Cup style Tournamnet of Europe with no Seedings and a straight knockout format from the beggining with no teams dropping into it from the Champions league...This way it may become a half decent prize that doesn't play about 5th fiddle to the champions league.

Correct, its a competition for losers at the moment.

[5iron]

The UEFA Cup final is 2 pm Eastern( maybe same time through all of America, i have no clue, and i think thats 2 pm eastern) time in America, Manchester United vs. Chelsea. Im not sure about home and away goals or if this is just the final game. So hopefully you can watch it! Thanks-

[Adam Pettman]

Originally Posted by 5iron

The UEFA Cup final is 2 pm Eastern( maybe same time through all of America, i have no clue, and i think thats 2 pm eastern) time in America, Manchester United vs. Chelsea. Im not sure about home and away goals or if this is just the final game. So hopefully you can watch it! Thanks-

Incorrect, that would be the Champions League final.

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by 5iron

The UEFA Cup final is 2 pm Eastern( maybe same time through all of America, i have no clue, and i think thats 2 pm eastern) time in America, Manchester United vs. Chelsea. Im not sure about home and away goals or if this is just the final game. So hopefully you can watch it! Thanks-

It's just a one of game play, no away goals because nobody's at home it's in Moscow. If it's level after 90 mins it'll be 30 mins Extra time and if still level there will be a penalty Shootout.

Follow, follow, follow!!!!....Cos United are going to Moscow!!!!

[ualtim]

Any predictions on the score?



Man U. = 2 (Ronaldo, Tevez)
Chelsea = 1 (Drogba)