Champions League & Uefa Cup Changes for 2004

[Mr Dubby]

from Yahoo -

Uefa makes cup changes


Uefa has decided to break convention and play Champions League and Uefa Cup ties in different weeks next season.
European football's governing body are toying with the idea of revamping the Uefa Cup completely from the 2004-05 campaign and are keen to boost the profile of a competition which has been massively overshadowed by the success of the Champions League.

And, having reduced the number of match days in the Champions League next season by abandoning the second group phase, Uefa have opted to fill some of the spare weeks by playing their secondary competition.

It means that the first leg of the opening round will be played on Wednesday 24 September, in between the first two group matches in the Champions League, with the second leg scheduled for 15 October.

However, the second round will revert to the position it has previously held, on the Thursday after a round of Champions League matches on 6 and 27 November.

Once again, teams who are eliminated from the final qualifying round of the Champions League will go into the Uefa Cup first round and those who finish third in the opening group phase of Europe's premier club competition, will go into the third round, which will not be played until next February.


who's in the intertwobob cup this year from the UK?

[Boozyuzi]

No clubs fron Scotland or England have entered the Intertoto this year.
The reason the 3rd round of the Uefa cup isn't until February is because they have to wait until the CL group stages finish - the 8 3rd placed teams drop into the CL.

Here's all the dates for your diary -

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/dates2003.html

[ianmb]

More chance of the Scottish clubs being in Europe until after Christmas then!

[Nujol]

I really thought that the UEFA cup was going to have a group stage next season?

[Alan. b]

That what I thought but it now looks like it is the following season.

[marky_h]

On a related point, does anyone know what Sky are planning to do with their CL coverage in 2003/2004? I've heard about the TV deal itself (Sky getting Wednesday games live), but will the matches be on SS1, 2 3 etc, or will there be a new channel added, with an associated price hike?

M

[Alan. b]

I think it is a case of wait and see marky, I haven't seen anything that gives us a clear indication of what Sky is planning for the competition.

[Boozyuzi]

As far as the fixture date changes go it is going to play havoc with the domestic fixture schedulers.
If 2 teams that are playing in differant European competitions get drawn gainst each other in the FA Cup then they will struggle to find a date for replay's.

[Smash41]

Is Champions League not on ITV then anymore?

[Kronik]

Originally posted by Smash41
Is Champions League not on ITV then anymore?

2 English matches will be, but the other 14 matches (includes 2 English matches) will be on Sky.

[pjg]

I shall be very annoyed if they don't put the games on Sky Sports 1,2 or 3. Surely this is something that the Competition Commission should be looking at if the games are only shown on a channel available on Sky digital :mad:

[Kronik]

Sky Sports Xtra all the way! :D :thumbs:

[tawsi]

Originally posted by Kronik
2 English matches will be, but the other 14 matches (includes 2 English matches) will be on Sky.

When you say 14 matches will be on Sky do you mean they get the choice of what they want from the 14 other matches or that they will supply them all and we will get to choose via some sort of interactive system?

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Originally posted by pjg
I shall be very annoyed if they don't put the games on Sky Sports 1,2 or 3. Surely this is something that the Competition Commission should be looking at if the games are only shown on a channel available on Sky digital :mad: I thought they were supposed to be on pay per view or something.

[Boozyuzi]

I believe that there is to be a match on both ITV1 and ITV2 on a Tuesday night.
The other 14 matches are supposed to be interactive on Sky Sports - you can choose what want you want to see. My money is on them being on Sky Sports Xtra especially as they have just given it a slight rebrand.

Up here on Scotland we normally get all the Scottish teams games on STV but I think it will depend if both the Old Firm qualify. If it is both of them then I expect one will be on STV and one on Sky each week.

At least we will be able to opt out of watching Man U and Arsenal every week.:oh-hum:

[Kronik]

Originally posted by tawsi
When you say 14 matches will be on Sky do you mean they get the choice of what they want from the 14 other matches or that they will supply them all and we will get to choose via some sort of interactive system?

All 14 matches will be shown on an interactive system. :thumbs:

[Jonnyrepp]

Less Clive Tyldesley? :thumbs:

[Nujol]

Sky were doing test transmissions a while ago of a 8-way-split-screen (much like they have now on interactive matches) with each window showing a different match. You'll be able to pick which out of the 8 (or 6 if ITV are showing 2) matches to watch on the Tuesday (6) and Wednesday (8) nights. Just like picking different angles on a prem match.

[camaj]

Am I the only one who's bored with the CL? Or maybe it's having to watch it on ITV :confused:

[bongo]

Im glad sky have got the CL after ITVs shocking coverage of the toon last year.

[Muddy Mudskipper]

Less Sad Ron on the TV can only be a good thing.