in lolUEFA news, according to Gazetta in Italy, they plan to reform the CL in 2018:

England, Spain, Italy, Germany all get 4 full spots each.
No more play-offs (???)
Wild-card entry based on "Historical merit", i.e. some joke club that was good 30 years ago getting a free pass.

Historical merit will only be applied for teams from* England/Spain/Italy/Germany.

So 3 places for league and 1 for whenever Man utd/Milan finish 7th.

Probably the last version of this tournament before they go full invite only.

If it includes joke clubs that were good 80 years ago, it has my blessing

Hitler's team unlikely to get an invite.

who was hitlers team? I've heard this discussion a few times but has it ever been settled?

None

http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/...king-the-myths

Of course they'd say that.

REAL MADRID: Casilla - Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo - Kovacic, Casemiro, Isco - Lucas Vázquez, Morata, Asensio.

SEVILLA: Sergio Rico - Mariano, Pareja, Carriço, Kolo - Iborra, N'Zonzi - Vitolo, Franco Vázquez, Kiyotake - Vietto.

Sevilla losing Ever, Krychowiak, Krohn-Dehli and Gameiro makes them look so much worse on paper, but I guess they usually figure it out.

Will be interesting how Kiyotake does. I like him a lot but not sure he's Champions League level

Krychowiak played at such a high level that he is the really tough one to replace. In this lineup there is still physicality in midfield but not the overall game.

However I'm looking at their transfers and Atletico have actually loaned them Kranevitter who was supposed to be their near-future in central midfield. I think Sampaoli definitely needed someone with that kind of controlling on and off-ball midfield potential. Staying in central midfield I could also see Cristoforo taking a bigger role. As well as Carrico further back. Those players in the EL rotation actually outperformed others playing more in La Liga if I remember (and saw) correctly.

I also still kind of believe in Vietto and then Ben Yedder who I've only seen sporadically over the years, yet he seems like a very dependable choice to contribute many of the things that Garmeiro did + sporting director Moncho prides himself on his expertise on the Ligue 1. market:



Incidentally maybe the only place where he hasn't had a great hand has been with the Serie A players, granted it's not many, that he has brought in over the years so both Franco Vasquez and Joaquín Correa will be interesting to follow.

They've spent enough money on them that it's hard to imagine them not really trying to fit them in and Correa for starters with his attacking midfield/playmaker talent at 21 seems like a bargain.

He already seems like an improved version of the kind of number 10s (Valdivia or Matias Fernandez) that Sampaoli/Bielsa/Chile have in their systems sometimes.

Franco Vasquez is sometimes more in second-striker territory but can also be a number 10 typo I think. I really don't know if he can press but I guess that he can or why buy him. He is just a skilled very clever operator finding space both with his movements (even if not fast) and his passes.

If that's not enough potential number 10s for this team they've even bought freaking GANSO! Neymar left him way behind early on career-wise and I wasn't sure if he was ever coming to Europe after injuries (I think I remember) and unstable form but he is a masterful passer with a lot of flair (maybe too much) of course and then we'll see if he'll have enough mentally, tactically and physically to thrive. Tempo can definitely be a challenge.

At right-back for Argentina and River when I've seen him Gabriel Mercado mostly makes his mark with physical play but he is another player who should be on wave-length with the new coach and he is probably better than Coke. For more attacking skill they can still use Mariano.

Their middle from solid centrebacks, some of them also defensive midfielders to attacking midfielders to number 10s to forwards they look pretty stacked to me but almost no matter what the key question will be just how well Sampaoli manages to install Bielsa and just how reliably will it function? It seems like it's Sevilla's biggest change in a long time and it's quite the difference from Emery.

and Pareja is back! He was out the whole last season but 2014 (a long time ago now) I thought he was their best defender. If he isn't broken his defending should also suit Sampaoli.

Hmm he is 32 years old already.

Cristoforo wasnt in the squad traveling to Norway and there are stories about him being on his way out. Probably as a loan I guess. The were also stories in the papers about Sampaoli wanting Ganso as a deep lying playmaker, but I dont know how credible that is.

but yeah it seems like they are risking a lot more than normal with the changes this summer. it'll definitely be interesting.

WTF Kiyotake is at Sevilla?

If I wanted to get tickets to Dortmund home opener Aug 27 how would I do it - what resale websites are legit?

Yeah that does surprise me. I definitely didn't think about him as one of those discarded-player candidates that new coaches identify sometimes. Maybe he really isn't good but I would think that he would be a decent signing for someone. Maybe an Italian team.

Ganso bit makes sense. It's hard to see him touching the ball enough in a league like Spain if not seeking it deeper, which he will anyway, and if he doesn't touch the ball enough he is probably a liability.

But pretty good performance for Sevilla I thought. Some players don't seem like the most natural fit for this kind of football but they did their best and someone like Vasquez impressed.

I also think that Sampaoli has had a lot more pragmatic moments in his career than Bielsa. He will adjust to own players and opponent.

MP,

Clowntable could probably advise you better, but I'd either try outside the ground or try Mainz as I don't think they'd take that many, and you can usually find someone with spares. BvB afaik don't have their own resale portal so you're probably looking at vianogo otherwise

Celtic excellent tonight, 5-0. Sinclair the stand out.

Pretty excited for the season ahead.

Take all that 1/3 you can get lads.

That UEFA Super Cup Real-Sevilla was one of the worst for me.. Such a boring game, teams started to play since 85 minute..
Again Real had big piece of luck

Can't believe Julian Green is really the 3rd best option at striker

Yeah, he's a very good player but I don't know either. Among the best signings by Bader. Was always fun to watch for us.

Unfortunately it might be close to impossible. I'd be surprised if Mainz doesn't take the whole lot. Correct that there's no resale portal.

How many are you looking for, just one or multiple?

Dortmund tickets have become pretty ridiculous now. Buddy got a membership solely to increase his chances and it did **** all for that so far lol. You need to be friends with s/o to go.

PSG have went from Zlatan to Hatem

Ouch

Same **** happens at Schalke. I didn't become a member soley bc of tickets, but it was a reason, but all it's good for is europa League. Happens when 70% of the stadium is filled by STH