3/10 Sevilla and 12/5 Betis to qualify.

Without trying to sound elitist it's a shame that so many of the better teams have drawn each other so early in the competition.

There could end up being some quite average teams playing in the quarters and semis because of it.

Benfica vs Juve final would be good, though. Battle of the European bottlers.

Without trying to sound elitist it's a shame that so many of the better teams have drawn each other so early in the competition.
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It is. Isn't there a kind of "EL route" and a "CL dropouts route" - at what point can they start to meet each other?

The winners and the four best third placed CL teams are seeded, the rest are unseeded.

Plzen drew Shaktar due to this even though they both dropped out of the CL.

I think with a few alterations they could make this a very good tournament.

Half it.

4 groups of six.

Yeah could be.

Or have an extra qualifying round and so there are six groups of four.

Top two go through and only four teams from the CL drop into the last sixteen.

That'd make the competition stronger, I reckon.

Seeing as they've already got the CL, they could just make the EL pure knockout competition. Would be much more exciting and unpredictable, and having such a huge amount of teams wouldn't be such a problem. CL dropouts could still come in at a certain round like upper division teams do in domestic cups. Other advantages are that it would reduce fixture congestion and would probably solve a lot of the current EL's attendance issues too.

The only other way I see it improving would be to reduce the outright number of CL slots for the big leagues and shift them to the EL.

Tbh though, I can't realistically see either of the above happening.

So you mean make it the UEFA Cup again?

Yeah I preferred the UEFA Cup for that reason. The EL seems to drag on and has so many dull ties.

Yeah that could be another idea. Basically a return to the older format of the UEFA Cup before the CL expanded.

As you say, though, it's unlikely to happen.

I think what I've suggested could work and wouldn't be that unrealistic either.

By extension it could also actually improve the CL as teams wouldn't always just be settling for 3rd place, if they are in a comfortable position, as they may need more points to be a top four 3rd placed.

By extension it could also actually improve the CL as teams wouldn't always just be settling for 3rd place, if they are in a comfortable position, as they may need more points to be a top four 3rd placed.
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True.

So Betis at 11/2 wasn't that bad after all

AC Milan President Silvio Berlusconi is reportedly considering sacking coach Clarence Seedorf before the end of the month if results don’t improve.

Seedorf replaced Massimiliano Allegri earlier in the year but results have not improved under the Dutchman, with the Rossoneri also exiting the Champions League Round of 16 at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

Sport Mediaset report that Berlusconi is growing impatient with the current results under the new coach and could look to hire a new tactician if Seedorf doesn’t secure wins against Fiorentina and Lazio.

In that circumstance, Mauro Tassotti would be the stand-in coach until the end of the season where Filippo Inzaghi would take over for the start of the 2014/15 season.

Replacing no experience Seedorf with no experience Inzaghi is worse than a Moyeschester United fan who thinks Giggs should be the manager.

I agree. Should be maldini.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/18/david-moyes-hits-new-low-as-tesco-rules-out-hiring-manchester-united-boss-4643819/

Every little helps...

Has anyone told Silvio that Davey might be available soon? He'd be just the man to lift Milan out of 11th-place obscurity and thrust them into the thick of the battle for a Europa League place.

Silvio has lost the plot.

Silvio would end up banging Moyes' daughter.

Such a lad.

Samp winning 5-0 against Verona.

Amazing to think Sampdoria are three places above Milan in the table now, when a few months ago they looked like relegation candidates.

They are a shambles. Can't believe they won away at Fiorentina though.

COME ON NAPOLI.

3000