Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

If like me you are puzzeled as to the latest draw (fixing) for the Champions League, some information I obtained from UEFA might help...

Today, Friday 30th July some of the biggest clubs in Europe will be holding their brath as they are pulled from the hat for the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw, which takes place in Nyon, Switzerland today at 12.00CET.

The 32 teams currently in the hat know that victory will bring them a cherished place in this season's Champions League group stage, a guaranteed £10m for qualification and also the chance of then progressing to the first knockout round in the spring.

Among the 16 seeded sides are a group of clubs with a wealth of European trophies between them. They include Real Madrid of Spain, seven times winners of the European Cup, Manchester United and our beloved Liverpool, responsible for bringing the trophy home to England six times, the old lady Juventus and Internazionale from Italy, as well as last season's beaten finalists Monaco from France. European veterans such as PSV, Deportivo, Dynamo Kyiv and Bayer Leverkusen are also seeded for the draw.

These greats of the European stage will be joined by 16 unseeded clubs, some of whom will have fought their way through the early qualifying rounds this season, and who will dream of slaying one of the giants.

Portuguese outfit Benfica, themselves former European Champion Clubs' Cup winners, and Swiss champions Basel (who performed with distinction in the Champions League two years ago, and gave our beloved reds a right going over) are among the strongest sides in this list.

Following 2004/05 Champions League regulations, the UEFA administration seeds teams for the third qualifying round in accordance with the club rankings established at the beginning of the season. This is simply a way of appeasing the TV companies who pour millions and millions into TV rights deals.

At the draw, the 16 balls containing the seeded teams will be placed in one bowl and the 16 balls containing the sides that are not seeded will be placed in another bowl. A ball will be taken from each bowl and put in an empty bowl in the middle, where they will be shuffled. The first team drawn will play its first match at home, against the second side drawn. This procedure will be repeated until all the pairings have been made.

In the event of a clash between two clubs from the same football association, ie the same country, the club drawn second will be put on hold. In their place, another ball from the corresponding group pot (seeded or not) will be drawn.

The ball put on hold will then be moved to the next match and placed as the visiting team. Another ball will then be drawn from the other group pot (seeded or not) and placed as the home team of this game. If the clash occurs with the last two clubs drawn, the club drawn second will be switched with the corresponding seeded or non-seeded team of Match 1.

I trust that this expains, but basically its all a con by UEFA to ensure the big teams have the best chance of progression, and therefore more money can be made on TV rights.

[LFC #1]

not much to worry about IMO, if we avoid Basel (no need to remind anyone what happened last time), Benfica (good portuguese side) or perhaps Trabzonspor if they beat Skonto and Banik Ostrava (baros' old club) who would also be tough in Turkey and the Czech Rep respectively.