The Dutch league has lost 1 Champion's League place. LINK to Dutch article There's probably an article at www.uefa.com as well if you want to read it in English, but I haven't checked. Now, only the Dutch Champion will go through automatically to the Champion's League, with the runner-up having to play 2 qualification matches like Feyenoord did this year. I guess this will give more meaning to the League Championship again, but still. By the way, it's the Greeks who have overtaken the Dutch in the rankings.
that's good for the CL. The dutch league is a whole bunch of weak teams that can't compete at inernational level. As for the Greeks, they keep getting better and better every year(look at panathanikos!)
While I agree that the Greeks (and the Turkish) have sent better side(s) to the CL in the past few years, which isn't really all that surprising considering their top teams have more money to spend, I don't think it's fair to say that the "The dutch league is a whole bunch of weak teams". Where are Panathinaikos in the CL by the way? Like I said, the Dutch have less money to spend, so they were hit harder by the Bosman ruling and couldn't keep their best players, but the crazy transfer market that came from that ruling seems to have calmed down a bit. Players like van der Vaart, van Persie, van Bommel, Hofland, Kezman etc. wouldn't have been playing at their current teams this year if the transfer market was the same as it has been not so long ago. Of course Dutch teams still won't keep their best players, but at least they'll stay here longer if the transfer market remains like it is now (and it does look that way) and they'll be able to send in better teams into Europe. Like Feyenoord and Ajax have this year, and PSV will be when they get their groove back. Personally, I don't think it'll take too long for the Dutch to get their spot back if this season and the last are any indication.
Compare the results of European Cup/Champions League truimph between the two countries..... Netherlands produced three winners, winning a total of 6 cups. Greece has won how many European Cups/Champions LEague ?? In fact, Holland's Euro Cup (not counting Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup) victories almost matches Germany's. I know Bayern, Dortmund, maybe Hamburg won European Cups, a total of 6 or 7 times. UEFA's method ranking is poor.....
I just saw on Sky Sports News that Scotland is getting a 2nd spot. You can't tell me that the SPL is better than the Eredivisie.
Why not? in the last couple of seasons Celtic have convincingly beaten ajax and a piss poor Rangers side gave feyenoord a game, Rangers beat PSV home and away a couple of seasons before that too. Evenly matched the top sides.
ok, now name one more team in the SPL that is noteworthy. The Dutch league has had in recent years Heerenveen in the Champions League (granted they did poorly) and they have other teams like Vitesse that would probably finish 3rd in the SPL. The SPL has 2 very good teams, Holland has 3. Holland widens the gap because they have greater 2nd tier teams like Vitesse, Roda, NAC. I will grant you one thing, I definately don't know as much about Scotland as I do Holland so if I'm missing something, by all means, educate me.
I agree the standard of smaller dutch teams are better than smaller SPL teams(although smaller dutch teams are much better financed and attended than smaller SPL teams), but its the old firm more often than not carry SPL teams in european co-efficents and a good showing from both clubs last season (and hibs who were unlucky to go out of the uefa after beating AEK 4-2 and going out on away goals) earned them another spot for this season, we still dont have an automatic qualifer into the groups, its fair. Feyenoords uefa cup win will probably get you the slot back the season after next.
Oh, I missed that. I thought it was 2 automatic spots for Scotland. To be honest, that doesn't bother me as much.
It could be worse you could be norwegian, Rosenborg have won that league for almost a decade, been to the second stage, and still have to play two qualifiers to my knowledge
Only 1/3 true....Celtic convincingly beat Ajax at home 1-3 in CL qualifier last season in A'dam, but Ajax controlled the away match in Glasgow and won, 0-1. Then, during this past summer before this season began, Ajax had the better of Celtic and won yet again - 1-3 - in a friendly in Celtic Park.
Rangers and Celtic are at the moment a little bit less stronger than Ajax and feyenoord I think. In general I'd say the Old Firm are always pretty constant because they have more money to spend. Ajax and feyenoord (especially Ajax) can not be that constant because we have to sell out every now and then and start all over. But unlike the Old Firm Ajax and feyenoord (esp Ajax again) can have incidental European succes. Ajax lost 25,8 million euros this year so unfortunately we will have another sell out next year. I'm 100% certain that this team with a healthy vd Vaart could be a serious CL contender next season. Rangers and Celtic never have been since I was born. Anyway... the level of play in the Eredivisie is ten times higher than in SPL.
Are you 10? Rangers got the the semi-final of the champions league in the 91-92 season, they were very unlucky not to get to the final actually, marseille did and we know now they werent exactly playing fair. The second comment is debateable, technique wise yes, player standard some are somre arent. De gier wasnt very impressive in his time with dunfermline and hes a pretty consistant scorer in the eredivisie. Who knows.
Yeah, but then there's another Dutch player that played at an average team over here...and who became most important player for a month over there this season because he was top scorer or something. (don't remember all the specifics) Personally I'd put Celtic and Rangers at the same level as the big three, but the SPL as a whole below the Eredivisie as a whole. Say "as a whole" very fast three times.
Mols? I liked Mols actually, one of the few rangers players that struck fear into me, shame to see players like that with the type of injury he got. Whats the deal with Konterman though? Dont get me wrong I'm delighted hes crap but he came with the reputation of being a fairly accomplished defender. Was that just more hun scare mongering? or did he have a solid reputation in Holland?
I think Feyenoord was pretty happy with the sale, but then I've never liked Konterman...he was my Zenden/Zlatan of the 90s. I don't mean Mols though (although I guess he's a good example as well) some Dutch guy from this season who plays for one of the other Scottish teams and was top scorer at the beginning of the league because he scored 3 or 4 times in the first game....see, that's how much of an average player he was over here, don't even know his name.
De Vreis? He got 4 goals in a game against goal heamoragging hibs, hes scored a few time since then and hes a hero to hearts supporters for the 4 goals against hibs but hes not really that revered elsewhere. Larsson is the leagues top scorer, the next one after him is Stevie Crawford (Who got 2 against canada last night). And Mols did play very well in the champions league until Oliver Khan crocked him.
Now that you mention it I do have a vague recollection of that, but it must have been erased by the memory of Ajax' UEFA Cup victory. Okay... that's one time.
News flash: the past isn't worth ************, so get over it, the greek teams just have been performing better over the last years...
UEFA uses RECENT past instead of DISTANT past to determine coefficients for qualifing - yes I know - and yes, I agree with that... But each time I visit the trophy room at the ArenA -it confirms the PAST is worth a LOT !!!