Jordan: New Champions League an ‘outrage’
talkSPORT broadcasters Jim White and Simon Jordan have both slammed the new expanded Champions League format that’s set to be approved on Wednesday.
Both have said that the new coefficient that would see Premier League sides qualify without merit while Scottish champions have to qualify is wrong.
Talking on the White & Jordan Show (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 11am), White said, “Despite opposition, UEFA have won the day with the expanded Champions League and it will be approved tomorrow.
“There was a major hoo-ha when we were on air. The bottom line is that Premier League sides that fall short will be rewarded for their mediocrity while the Scottish champions will have to qualify.
“Take Arsenal, they finished seventh, but because of their history in the Champions League, their qualification will take place over the Scottish champions. It riled McCoist and it riled me. Surely sporting merit goes out the window.”
Jordan agreed saying, “This is something that kills the European Super League, which is good. What it leaves is a bunch of questions about sporting merit. It’s an outrage, it’s preposterous to suggest that a coefficient of your previous five years’ performances should get you into a tournament that your merit in the previous season didn’t – that’s preposterous. And that fuels the narrative that elite clubs are keeping others down.”
“So it’s goodbye to sporting merit?” asked White.
“Yes, certainly under the new regime,” replied Jordan. “The notion that the champions of Scotland should be compromised by the seventh-placed side in the Premier League is an outrage.”
Money talks
Money talks everywhere in the world, but in football especially.
The big clubs in Europe have been trying to change the format of the Champions League for a while now and it looks like they’re finally going to get their way, albeit in a slightly fudged format.
They wanted a super league, they’ve got a bigger Champions League and almost guaranteed entry.
Meanwhile, Rangers, who romped home in Scotland this season, will have to qualify for the Group Stage over the summer.
This is going to get worse when the new format is ratified.
White and Jordan are spot on – it is an outrage, but what can you do about it?
We’re not sure fans want an expanded Champions League, with bigger groups.
We’re absolutely sure that most fans, outside the elite clubs at least, want a competition that’s fair and won on merit.
Who wants a Champions League that could be won by a team that came seventh in its domestic league?
Not us and we’re sure a lot of other fans feel the same way.
In other Rangers news, Rangers face new competition for red-hot target as PL side join the hunt – Report