GW Emperor
16 Feb 2009, 12:54 PM
The purpose of this thread is to discover how you guys would rank Footballing Competitions (Senior Level) based on their importance to you as a fan, or even if you were a manager or player.
You can either rank the competitions from the perspective of being a citizen of CONCACAF, or if you wish you can do it from a European point of view, or perhaps even both, this if you believe that you may see things differently depending on the continent.
Because I am an Englishman, born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne, I will rank my competitions of importance based on those that apply to my continent of Europe, and my ranking is as follows:
1) FIFA International World Cup
A no brainer really. Being crowned Champion of the World, and therefore best in the World, at International level is undoubtedly the greatest honour that a man can have. The World Cup is also one of the top 3 most watched sporting events in the World, this alongside The Summer Olympics and NFL Super Bowl, and it creates a gathering of fans from every nation, in which even if they are brutal rivals on the club front, they all come together as one to support their nation. The support, passion, determination etc, that go into this competition is unmatchable.
2) UEFA International European Championship
The next best thing to being International Champion of the World, is to be crowned International Champion of your Continent.
3) English Premier League (Club League Campaign)
Since one's League Campaign takes up so much of a player, fan, manager's life each year, this one has got to be high up on the list. A domestic league campaign is what we sit down and view the most of throughout our life, and their is also so much history that lies within. A league campaign is the top club competition in my opinion, and I suppose that when your nation's league is considered the best on the planet, and has more International players and well known stars present, then it greatly hightens that interest.
4) FIFA Club World Cup
The shortness of this competition is a bit of a downer, however at the end of the day this comp does make you the Champion of the World, and therefore best in the World, and not only that but every Continent gets to have a say in the matter, which is both right and fair, and helps you to determine a true King of Kings. This competition also treats us to a very rare opportunity of seeing Clubs from around the World in action and competing against one another. I mean you have to love the rareness and unique feeling of seeing a match like Liverpool FC (England) vs Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), or Al Ahly (Egypt) vs CF Pachuca (Mexico) etc.
5) UEFA Champions League (Head European Club Continental Competition)
LOL. The UEFA Champions League, branded as the comp where the big boys play, but it is also the biggest farce of a competition, possibly to exist. The competition is simply used as a way to help the rich and powerful clubs become more rich and powerful, and to help the UEFA big wigs fill their pockets with more and more cash, this while at the same time killing off the not so big clubs by making them more poorer and crapper. The competition is supposed to be in place to determine a European Club Champion, well this just makes me laugh, this because so many Nations are absent in the competition and barely get a chance to become involved. In their place we just get more clubs from the same countries, mainly from England, Spain, and Italy. The competition even goes by the name of Champions League, yet the funny thing is the majority of Champions are absent from the competition. Really UEFA should rename this competition as the 'English/Spanish/Italian Club Championship, featuring a few of their friends'. This year we will even see 3 automatic berths go to teams from EPL, Serie A, and La Liga, this as opposed to 2, and this is all happening while so many clubs from other nation's, who worked so hard all season to win their league championship, don't even get a berth at all, and are instead thrown into a number of qualifying rounds, which they wont even survive and as a result dont even earn a single penny of that very beneficial reward money. No kidding in about 20 years time this competition will probably consist of 10 teams from EPL, 10 teams from La Liga, 10 teams from Serie A, and 2 teams from Germany, this all while the other nations become so crap and poor, that UEFA decide that these teams dont deserve a place because they are not bringing in enough money, this due to how crap and forgotten they have become, and of course it was all greedy UEFA's fault. Once upon a time though this was a great competition, this back when nation's clubs were given more equal opportunities, and as a result it was more fair and unpredictable. Gone are the days now though when we could see a Red Star Belgrade or Steau Bucharest go far and win it, whereas nowadays we just see the same clubs, from the same nations, hitting the later rounds, and as a result it is becoming repetitive beyond belief. The UEFA Champions League these days is like a cracked record playing over and over annually, and it massively lacks a feeling of freshness. I am ranking this competition at fifth though, based on the fact that it did once used to be a great and proper competition, and because, even though it truly doesnt make you the best in Europe, this because of all those absent nations, you still go into the record books as Champion of Europe if you win it. Unfair I know, but hey what can you do?
The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores is a far greater and correct continental competition. The other head Continental competitions from around the globe are more legit also.
6) UEFA Cup, soon to become UEFA Europa League
In all honesty this is actually more a European Cup and Champions League, than the UEFA Champions League, this because we have more nations and Champions participating. The only problem is however, is that it is the UEFA Champions League that has the purpose to make you king of Europe, therefore sadly leaving little purpose for this competition.
7) The FA Cup (National Club Knock Out Competition for England)
This competition is another way to determine a best team in England, except this time in an elimination with each round process. The competition does have a great history and has been running for over 100 years, and such reasons help elevate the copied purpose to a more wantable level. Not all football managers see it that way though, and often put the domestic league campaign as being their only target.
8) FIFA International Confederations Cup
Given that the World Cup makes you the best on the planet, it pretty much kills off the purpose of this, in a way similar competition. I do like the idea of this competition though, this by bringing together all the champion nations of each confederation and the top nation from the World Cup, but unfortunately the purpose which you think would be at stake from this comp is already taken. It's certainly a good way to gain points though, this towards the FIFA World Rankings, and of course your placement in the World Rankings can help you get a nice group in the World Cup draw, this if you have a decent amount of points.
9) The Carling Cup
Another knock out style competition here in England, and since we already have the EPL, to determine the best in England, and the FA Cup, to determine the best in England knock out style, it therefore makes this competition the most pointless thing on the planet.
Well I believe that is now me done, and now if you are interested it is your turn to rank your competitions of importance.
You can either rank the competitions from the perspective of being a citizen of CONCACAF, or if you wish you can do it from a European point of view, or perhaps even both, this if you believe that you may see things differently depending on the continent.
Because I am an Englishman, born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne, I will rank my competitions of importance based on those that apply to my continent of Europe, and my ranking is as follows:
1) FIFA International World Cup
A no brainer really. Being crowned Champion of the World, and therefore best in the World, at International level is undoubtedly the greatest honour that a man can have. The World Cup is also one of the top 3 most watched sporting events in the World, this alongside The Summer Olympics and NFL Super Bowl, and it creates a gathering of fans from every nation, in which even if they are brutal rivals on the club front, they all come together as one to support their nation. The support, passion, determination etc, that go into this competition is unmatchable.
2) UEFA International European Championship
The next best thing to being International Champion of the World, is to be crowned International Champion of your Continent.
3) English Premier League (Club League Campaign)
Since one's League Campaign takes up so much of a player, fan, manager's life each year, this one has got to be high up on the list. A domestic league campaign is what we sit down and view the most of throughout our life, and their is also so much history that lies within. A league campaign is the top club competition in my opinion, and I suppose that when your nation's league is considered the best on the planet, and has more International players and well known stars present, then it greatly hightens that interest.
4) FIFA Club World Cup
The shortness of this competition is a bit of a downer, however at the end of the day this comp does make you the Champion of the World, and therefore best in the World, and not only that but every Continent gets to have a say in the matter, which is both right and fair, and helps you to determine a true King of Kings. This competition also treats us to a very rare opportunity of seeing Clubs from around the World in action and competing against one another. I mean you have to love the rareness and unique feeling of seeing a match like Liverpool FC (England) vs Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), or Al Ahly (Egypt) vs CF Pachuca (Mexico) etc.
5) UEFA Champions League (Head European Club Continental Competition)
LOL. The UEFA Champions League, branded as the comp where the big boys play, but it is also the biggest farce of a competition, possibly to exist. The competition is simply used as a way to help the rich and powerful clubs become more rich and powerful, and to help the UEFA big wigs fill their pockets with more and more cash, this while at the same time killing off the not so big clubs by making them more poorer and crapper. The competition is supposed to be in place to determine a European Club Champion, well this just makes me laugh, this because so many Nations are absent in the competition and barely get a chance to become involved. In their place we just get more clubs from the same countries, mainly from England, Spain, and Italy. The competition even goes by the name of Champions League, yet the funny thing is the majority of Champions are absent from the competition. Really UEFA should rename this competition as the 'English/Spanish/Italian Club Championship, featuring a few of their friends'. This year we will even see 3 automatic berths go to teams from EPL, Serie A, and La Liga, this as opposed to 2, and this is all happening while so many clubs from other nation's, who worked so hard all season to win their league championship, don't even get a berth at all, and are instead thrown into a number of qualifying rounds, which they wont even survive and as a result dont even earn a single penny of that very beneficial reward money. No kidding in about 20 years time this competition will probably consist of 10 teams from EPL, 10 teams from La Liga, 10 teams from Serie A, and 2 teams from Germany, this all while the other nations become so crap and poor, that UEFA decide that these teams dont deserve a place because they are not bringing in enough money, this due to how crap and forgotten they have become, and of course it was all greedy UEFA's fault. Once upon a time though this was a great competition, this back when nation's clubs were given more equal opportunities, and as a result it was more fair and unpredictable. Gone are the days now though when we could see a Red Star Belgrade or Steau Bucharest go far and win it, whereas nowadays we just see the same clubs, from the same nations, hitting the later rounds, and as a result it is becoming repetitive beyond belief. The UEFA Champions League these days is like a cracked record playing over and over annually, and it massively lacks a feeling of freshness. I am ranking this competition at fifth though, based on the fact that it did once used to be a great and proper competition, and because, even though it truly doesnt make you the best in Europe, this because of all those absent nations, you still go into the record books as Champion of Europe if you win it. Unfair I know, but hey what can you do?
The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores is a far greater and correct continental competition. The other head Continental competitions from around the globe are more legit also.
6) UEFA Cup, soon to become UEFA Europa League
In all honesty this is actually more a European Cup and Champions League, than the UEFA Champions League, this because we have more nations and Champions participating. The only problem is however, is that it is the UEFA Champions League that has the purpose to make you king of Europe, therefore sadly leaving little purpose for this competition.
7) The FA Cup (National Club Knock Out Competition for England)
This competition is another way to determine a best team in England, except this time in an elimination with each round process. The competition does have a great history and has been running for over 100 years, and such reasons help elevate the copied purpose to a more wantable level. Not all football managers see it that way though, and often put the domestic league campaign as being their only target.
8) FIFA International Confederations Cup
Given that the World Cup makes you the best on the planet, it pretty much kills off the purpose of this, in a way similar competition. I do like the idea of this competition though, this by bringing together all the champion nations of each confederation and the top nation from the World Cup, but unfortunately the purpose which you think would be at stake from this comp is already taken. It's certainly a good way to gain points though, this towards the FIFA World Rankings, and of course your placement in the World Rankings can help you get a nice group in the World Cup draw, this if you have a decent amount of points.
9) The Carling Cup
Another knock out style competition here in England, and since we already have the EPL, to determine the best in England, and the FA Cup, to determine the best in England knock out style, it therefore makes this competition the most pointless thing on the planet.
Well I believe that is now me done, and now if you are interested it is your turn to rank your competitions of importance.