A 64-team Champions League?

Just last week, I was browsing through Yahoo Sports when I saw this: 'European football's governing body is pondering a proposal to launch a 64 team uber-tournament that would double the size of the existing Champion's League Group Stage.'

On a first glance, this proposal seems like a great way to improve the interest in the Champions League by adding a whole new set of teams. But on a second glance, you can see just how messed up this proposal is. The reason the tournament is called the Champions League is because the CHAMPIONS or the top teams in each domestic league play. With the size of the group stage now doubled, the only thing that can happen is that the quality of the Champions League will drop.  It's hard enough to get people interested about the group stage of the current 32 team champions league  and with 64 teams, all interest will be lost. I can't see people queuing up for a fixture like Everton vs Levante; a kind of game that will soon be common in the new proposal.

Another factor that will come into play is the quality of the side that teams put forward. Will Barcelona play Messi, Xavi and Iniesta for a game against Aston Villa? Of course not. The group stages will become more like warm up matches and that is something I do not look forward to.

I am glad that someone else shares my view; none other than Arsene Wenger. This is an excerpt from his interview: 

"That could be detrimental to the national leagues as well and could take some interest out of the first stages of the Champions League. It would be a European league.”

Was this plan just a another scheme for UEFA to gain more money through increased game revenue? If so, I don't think they've done the math completely because whatever they gain, they will lose from a lower audience turnout. I would take 40,000 fans for 10 games over 20,000 fans for 20 games. ( I could just make a whole list of pairs of numbers whose product is 400,000 but I guess I would lose my point.)

Chelsea vs Barcelona: How it will be played

Well here I am sitting at 12:00 am IST waiting for the mouthwatering clash between Chelsea and Barcelona and I was wondering how a game between sides with very different styles play will turn out. Well one thing is for certain, if Chelsea are to win this game, it could very well be just what Chelsea fans and Chelsea players will look back upon. Chelsea have had a horrid season and reaching the Champion's League final could suddenly breathe fresh air into a dismal campaign.

I definitely feel that Chelsea will stick to their long ball play, something Cesc Fabregas talked about recently.
Playing the long will definitely help Chelsea get past Barca's diminutive players and may help them create decent chances. Chelsea will more or less try and clog the midfield as most other teams have fruitlessly done against Barca in an attempt to halt Iniesta and Xavi. But for some reason I feel that these tactics will not work against Barca simply because if Chelsea resort to using the long ball, they will end up losing possession more often and will never have a real grip on the game and that is very dangerous especially if Barcelona is the opposition.
On the other hand, Barca will attempt to run and pass their way through an ageing Chelsea defence. I can just about see Sanchez and Messi ripping the defense to shreds with pacey zigzagging runs.As usual I feel that Barca's midfield will take complete control over game and will leave Chelsea gasping for breath.

My prediction: Barcelona wins. But if Chelsea do manage an unlikely victory, they will be on course to deliver a Champions League trophy to their Champions League fanatic owner.

The Tale of Two Cities

I am pretty sure a lot of you, after reading the title were wondering how a classic by Charles Dickens has any connection with soccer. Well, here I am am not talking about Paris but actually Man City FC.
Its strange how a football club that is doing so well in the Premier League this season can be on the brink of elimination in the group stages of the Champions League. Having beaten Manchester United 6-1 and stringing up 11 wins in 12 games, it is only natural to assume that Manchester City would get past the first stage of the Champions League but it seems that such assumptions cannot be made. City are no longer the masters of their fate as if Napoli wins against Villareal, City are heading home even if they beat Bayern (which at the moment is highly unlikely).
Another very puzzling factor is that Man City have in their ranks a reasonably experienced Champions League side and it seems as if their struggle is because they are not gelling well enough. This deepens the quandary with Manchester City as even with a superstar roster, they are still not good enough. We will have to wait and see whether City continue in the Champions League but while a match with City can produce a very interesting encounter, I am sure that I will see a smug look on all the Chelsea, Arsenal and United fans faces if City are knocked out.

Why Manchester City are still not amongst Europe's elite

Tuesday's result in the Champions League was of no surprise. The scoreline that day read Bayern Munich 2 Manchester City 0. This was not a surprising result as even after the billion pound investment by City's wealthy owners, City are still not one of Europe's best. I feel that one of the reasons for this is their manner of recruitment. The fact that they  hand out 190,000 pounds a week salary to just about anyone is actually affecting them negatively. This mega salary is starting to make a few players egoistic and that is a quality which is not seen in any top side. The most recent example of this was the Tevez case where he refused to take to the pitch and help City salvage something from the game. This was a disgrace not only to the club but also to football as a whole. Players no longer play for passion but rather for money, Etoo being the best example for this case. This mercenary attitude is what is restraining City from becoming a top side and its not like only a few players are exhibiting this as players like Dzeko and Balotelli are now getting into the act. In a game overshadowed  by the Tevez controversy, even a player like Dzeko was seen arguing with Mancini over his decision for the former to be withdrawn.
The astronomical wages also affect City in the transfer market. Players who they want to get rid off can't be cleared because no club is willing to pay their wages. This creates a situation where City either have to fund some of the wages or they have to deal with a million pound ego. If City really want to achieve as a club on Europe's biggest stage, they have change their mindset that everything can be bought, including silverware.