This Could be Great News For Fulham

[A Humble Man]

I am surprised so many people are against the idea as it could make Fulham a household name in Europe with all the extra income that would generate.

To many Fulham fans still cannot get the Club as it is now a well run business on the way up.

[Aaron]

I would love us to be in the Champions League testing ourselves against the best teams rather than a competition for also rans.  OK it is about making more money but as we get a share of it so what. 

Fans easily forget football is just a business and has to make as much money as possible.

But we ARE also-rans and we're proud of it :)

I can sort of see where you are coming from, but you are overlooking some key factors.

1) You eliminate the possibility of us ever having a European season like the first one we had in the Europa.

2) The 32 "also-rans" (of which we would be included..) who get added in are basically going to be like non-league teams in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, showing up for one glamour fixture and having their arses handed to them for the usual suspects to go on and contest the rest of the competition the same way they do every year.

3) We wouldn't get near the competition regardless.  Within a couple of seasons you would just have an extension of the way the league is now where instead of having a very well funded and impenetrable top 6 you'd just have a very well funded and impenetrable top 8 or even top 10 of which we would not be members. 

4) The domestic cups would also move rapidly beyond or grasp with the realisation that it only takes 6 games to get yourself into the "Champions League" that way instead of 38.

5) There wouldn't be anything like the sort of money on offer for getting dumped out in the early stages of this new fangled Champions League as is currently on offer, if there was that big a market for watching the likes Hearts vs Amkar Perm then the Europa League would be raking it in.. It isn't.  Playing the Champions League music before that game isn't going to make anyone want to watch it.

Sorry, but I think I'd far rather see a romantic season unfold like our first foray into the Europa than get a draw against Barca, lose 8-0 on aggregate in two midweek fixtures in September and spend the rest of the season gunning for a 12th place finishing knowing our cup campaign is over before it has even started.  The last thing you want to do is make football even less competitive than it already is!

[Horse]

CL should be only for winners of domestic competitions. EL for 2nd, 3rd, 4th et sec & runners up in domestic comps.

Yeah that doesn't work in a world were Barcelona and Real are in the same league. I think it's a goodish idea. Either that or scrap the EL - it's a fairly pointless competition...

[King_Crud]

I am surprised so many people are against the idea as it could make Fulham a household name in Europe .

They'd be up there with that 5th place Scottish team that gets a place

[Vlado]

This makes no sense. Some group matches are quite pointless as it is - if the Champions League's size is increased, there will be even more filler trash teams.

I fully agree that the Champions League should be for champions only (and the previous season's winner - if that team didn't win the title in the domestic league). The value of Europa League would then go up a lot, too.

[A Humble Man]

In our 2008 cup run we beat lots of experienced Champions League Teams and did not look out of place.  Three or four very good players funded by earnings from the CL would move us up the pecking order very quickly.  You cannot compare us to the Scottish teams, we are a much more wealthy Club than Celtic.  If you finish 6th in the Premier you well in the top 32 of best teams in Europe.

Stop underselling what we are now and what with some tweaking we could become.  We are not a small team any more, far from it. 

[Kent Cassandra]

I have said this before but I think FIFA's ultimate aspiration is to gain more power and cash by running a European league where teams like Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barca, Inter etc etc will break away from their national leagues, in other words a proper full time european league.  This would generate an enormous amount of money for the elite and the organisation running it.

[A Humble Man]

I have said this before but I think FIFA's ultimate aspiration is to gain more power and cash by running a European league where teams like Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barca, Inter etc etc will break away from their national leagues, in other words a proper full time european league.  This would generate an enormous amount of money for the elite and the organisation running it.

All the more reason we should take the next step in our development by them to make sure we are part of this private Club.  I would rather see Barcelona coming to the Cottage once or twice a season rather than Stoke, Wigan, QPR, Reading, etc.  We would get more Fulham fans going to some of the top grounds in Europe than we do to Wigan etc. 

It probably will not happen for six or seven years so we have time to improve our capacity, team and status.

[Kent Cassandra]

Well HM there is certainly nothing wrong with your aspirations and I hope Mo will have similar ones.  Is this the way of truth or a further step towards capitalist globalisation? For me it is something to dream about but wouldn't hold my breath.   Like in America home matches would literally be home matches with the vast majority of away supporters unable to afford the trip on a two week basis.
OK for capatlist America but I'm not sure about here.

[fulhamben]

I have said this before but I think FIFA's ultimate aspiration is to gain more power and cash by running a European league where teams like Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barca, Inter etc etc will break away from their national leagues, in other words a proper full time european league.  This would generate an enormous amount of money for the elite and the organisation running it.

why? do you really think supportsers of teams who have no chance of getting in the league would pay a tv subscription to watch it. if fulham were not on sky sports would you still have it if you didnt like any other sports?

[Northern Cottager]

Could you imagine 5 Scottish teams in the Champions League? Christ