Bottom-line, just because a tournament is at the end of the "global process" doesn't mean its more prestigious than those further up the line. And that would be true even if it wasn't for the fact that some random domestic champion qualifies directly for the CWC.
He's right and you admit it and it must matter if that is what makes the CWC. The EPL isn't really viewed as a seperate competition when half the population really want that 4th qualification spot, a spot they want because they know they can't win the league, but they go for it, so it must matter, they know whats at stake, just as much as when they enter CL, they know whats at stake.
I think the main reason Europeans don't take the competition as seriously is because half or more (in the case of Inter) of the guys playing in the team they send are South Americans and Africans. So when the competition is at the world-wide event, it's not really a mostly-European team winning it. Winning the CWC does little for UEFA pride. Chelsea is likely to play Luiz, Oscar, Ramires, Mikel and Moses in their first team. By comparison, Hyundai plays with at most one non-Asian in their first team -one of their Brazilians. Al-Ahly is going with a fully Egyptian team. Monterrey is likely to field three or four South Americans. And Corinthians goes with a 100% CONMEBOL team. The only other Continental Champ fielding half a team of players from other confederations is Auckland, but they're just happy being there.
european fans dont take it seriously but the teams do so dont get it twisted the teams trie their hardest to win every game they play...., the thing with the fans is that they dont want to give any credit to other leagues and teams.... so is easier to dismiss the competition before hand so that when their team losses they can say hey with didnt tried nor cared... as if they played the game also the competition was dominated by commebol for a longtime..... now that uefa has won a few in a row they use it to say uefa is better but once another confederation wins it they'll go back to saying is a tournament they dont care about and dont even try []__[]
While it may seem like the players are "selling" the tournament in some of the lead-up FIFA interviews they do talk about it otherwise too, and it's not just the South Americans. These articles are several months old: - Torres staying with Chelsea: "I want to win Club World Cup" - Malouda wants to stay at Chelsea: "The Club World Cup is a competition close to my heart" - Mikel now eyes Club World Cup: "Winning the Club World Cup will be the icing on the cake." And from the tsunami front, Chelsea await Fifa guidance over Club World Cup after Japan earthquake.
Non they dont! Maybe the Spanish, most people I know thought that Bayern Munich should have won it!!!
Notice that none of the quotes were made by English players. I cant believe the video posted back a few posts showing the Corinthens supporters!!! I dont think there will be any Chelsea supporters at the competition and I dont think that the competition will even be shown on Enlish TV!! This talk of English fans not wanting to give credit to the other teams is nonsense! Does a Brazilian not give enough credit to the New Zealand All Blacks because they dont watch the Rugby world cup? No of course not! Its just something that doesnt appear on the average Brazilians radar, the reason English fans arent interested is because this competition doesnt appear on their radar either. Its just a fact that English fans would rather pick up 3 points in the league than win this competiton, so what, why does this upset some people, arent English fans allowed to be interested or not interested in whatever they choose? If the Brazilians or the Japanese or whoever have a different outlook on the competition then good for them.
BBC HD will cover the tournament starting with the semis. Chelsea beat Sunderland 3:1 today and will travel to Japan on a positive note.
The best players at chelsea are not english, their starting 11 is all foreigners. The english really think too highly about their opinions as if theirs mattered more than others. The english havent been relevant in the world stage of football since 1966. []__[]
What's the matter with you man?! Do you live in a bubble? Go on twitter right now and see how active it is with tweets of excitement for the CWC by Chelsea fans. You are in the minority. The worldwide Chelsea fan base is pumped. Maybe not as much as the others, but there are many. Plus, more than 2,000 Chelsea fans will make the trip, and that's so far. Who knows what the final total will be.
I am very sure Chelsea really want to win this, especially now that they're out of the CL. But will they be able to win it? They had a good start into the season, but lately they seem even worse than last season. I think it will be very hard for Europe's luckiest team champions to win the tournament this year. No cakewalk like during the last two editions.
Listen, I have already said I dont know how the competition is viewed elsewhere, maybe there are Chelsea supporters somewhere in the 'world' that are looking forward to it. All I am saying is that the English Chelsea supporters dont want it, how do I know? Because of the times Ive been to Stamford Bridge this season, because I know a lot of English Chelsea supporters, I think you will find Chelsea supporters (English based ones anyway) would much rather win the Carling cup (though again thats not a priority) than they would this competition. I am not trying to put the competition down, I am just telling a fact. Perhaps we should look to take the competition more seriously, maybe FIFA should try and do something to increase the competitions standing in the UK? I dont know, holding the competition at a different time of year would certainly help (in the UK anyway)
You dont know what youre talking about! John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard have been among the best players in the Chelsea team for some years now - guess what, theyre all English!! In fact Ashley Cole is one of the VERY best left backs in the world, Lampard has a better scoring ratio than any other midfield player. And the supporters have a banner showing at every home game saying JT Captain, Leader, Legend for a reason! Ryan Bertrand is now coming on the scene and played the Champions League final (English), Gary Cahill plays nearly every game at the back (English) and Daniel Sturridge is also English. I think you are justing spouting the old stereotypical sayings, incidently people that say the English havent been relevant since 66 obviously dont know what theyre talking about, they may not have one a world cup since then but they are always a top 10 rated side, pretty relevant considering how many countries are in FIFA. Dont post heresay.
Football, although we'd like to think though, doesn't revolve around England. December seems to be the best time of year for everyone but England who complain it's in December but also tell us they don't care about the competition, so do we care or not? If we don't care, why are so many English people quick to talk tosh about it. Of course they care, but they use their defence mechanism to make it sound like they don't.
Who said football should evolve around England? Maybe December is a good time of year, maybe its the best time of year to hold it, it just isnt a good time for the English, thats just stating a fact. Does it matter if the English care? Maybe it doesnt, the rest of the world probably doesnt give a monkeys whether the English care or not, why should they? perhaps we could discuss ways of improving the standing of the competition in the UK? I honestly hope everybody enjoys the competition but for me (and other UK based Chelsea supporters) I just want them to get back in one piece so that the team has the very best chance to finish in the top 4 of the EPL if they can.
Why try to improve the standing of the comptition in the UK? It works fine everywhere else. Now, I know you never said football should evolve around England, but believe me, thats what most in England think. I'll go to the pub in my hometown and believe me, if England aren't involved in it, then they think it's not the bees knees. Euro 2008 for example. Really, Chelsea should be out their in the media saying what an honour it is to be in this. They should in theory be drilling it into the faces of every english club like Man U, Arsenal, Man City, tell them they could be World Champions, but they don't, they hide, they say it's not a priorty, and I personally think thats because they think they will lose, and if they do, they have their excuse their already. Not anymore important that League Cup is a joke really. Everything is a priorty. They represent Chelsea and England at this international level and say this drivel, it's disrepsectful really to every other confederation. Football isn't Europe, football isn't England, it's for the whole world, but English supporters can't see out of the EPL bubble what is on offer. There is decent football around other than the EPL.
Im not saying the competition is not important, or that its 'drivel', Im just saying it isnt important to the English, I do wonder what FIFA should do to increase the competitions standing in England (or maybe they neednt bother?) English supporters have the right to feel what they want about any competiton, why should they be 'forced' to acknowledge the competition, that doesnt mean its disrespected? After all A Nigerian thinks nothing of the Rugby world cup, has probably never even heard of it yet in New Zealand it is the pinnacle of all sporting competitons (probably lol), does that mean the Nigerian is 'disrespecting' the All Blacks achievement? Of course not.
No ones forcing anyone to acknowledge anything. I also don't think any Nigerian would go onto a Rugby forum to say what they feel about Rugby the way people do go on about how rubbish the CWC is. Really, you've gone out of your way to tell us it's not important, if thats the case, why keep coming back? You've obviously acknowleged the competition without us asking you to, if you hadn't then you'd never be here. FIFA don't really need to do anything. They run a competition that back in the late 90's the Africans and Asians wanted. Until these confederations get tired, it will be forever run. If Europe doesn't like it, then they need to get UEFA to battle it out and in the process look like spolit kids for running.
all the players you named are not on the best 11 of chelsea.. first of all they are all overrated .. but secondly they are old and not the same players they were anyways.. lampard, terry, cole none are world class... i know you english fans love to overrate your teams and players to feel better about your premier league but face it.. other than rooney no other english player is world class []__[]
Ashley Cole is considered to be the worlds best left back, try looking it up. The truth is the English do not overrate their teams, show me a link to anybody English that thinks their national team is the worlds best, just one, I bet you cant. The rest of the world however are constantly putting down English players, what makes you think that Lampard is not one of Chelseas best ever players, have you seen his scoring record? its phenomenal, try looking it up. Why were Barcelona trying to sign him if he is so poor? Do you realise when Lampard was playing in this Chelsea team this season they one 5 and drew 1 of their first 6 games, since his injury they have one 1 of the last 8, yes were talking about a 34 year old Lampard. Now give me a foreign player in the Chelsea team that has contributed more? In fact find me a midfield player in Europe that has scored more goals from his position over the last 10 years. I need you to post some facts that prove he, Terry and Cole are overrated.
I thought the idea of this site was for people to put forward opinions? The competition is important for me to comment on, whether I like it or not Chelsea are playing, it is important to me that the team does not pick up injuries. Not once have I said the competion itself shouldnt run, not once have I belittled any of the teams taking part, neither have I said that football supporters around the world should dismiss it out of hand. I am genuinly impressed by the passion of the Brazilian supporters for the competition. I only responded to a post about whether Barcelona would be a better European team to take part, to which I replied that I would be perfectly happy if that was the case, thats me, Im not speaking for anybody else though I suspect that English based Chelsea supporters share my view, I am genuinly interested to find out what people think should be done to increase the standing of the competition in the UK and wondered if anybody had any ideas. Of course the timing is not good for English teams, of course I dont think it should be moved just to accomodate, perhaps there is another answer? Maybe the FA should look at suspending league games during this period?
Thank you for responding back. The thing is, there doesn't appear to be any opinions coming forward. Not once have you given us an opinion of what you think should be done. In fact, in a weeks time, you won't post on the tournament again - it will be done and dusted until the next time Chelsea enter. But, your right, the FA should look at something, because the way it is going, come 2022, they will need to suspend the league and wouldn't it be a pity for me to raise this now and come 9 yeras down the line every one is suprised.