UEFAcup to get Group Phase in 04/05
The UEFA Cup will include a new-style group stage from the 2004-05 season designed to improve the quality and credibility of Europe's second-ranked club competition.
UEFA's Executive Committee announced on Thursday that from the season after next, the UEFA Cup will be based on a first round knockout of 80 teams, followed by a group phase of 40 teams in eight groups of five.
The top three teams in each group -- a total of 24 -- would then advance, joined by eight teams eliminated from the Champions League. The knockout competition would then continue with 32 teams.
The novelty in the group stage is that the five teams will not play each other home and away but will play each other only once. Each team will play four matches, two home and two away. The groups would be a mixture of clubs based on UEFA seedings.
UEFA also announced a change in their qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup finals.
There will be three groups of seven teams -- making 12 qualifying matches -- and five groups of six teams, with the eight group winners and two best runners-up qualifying automatically.
The other six runners-up will take part in play-offs, with three qualifying for the finals.
These World Cup proposals need to be agreed with FIFA in due course.
Taken from www.eurosport.com
The UEFA Cup will include a new-style group stage from the 2004-05 season designed to improve the quality and credibility of Europe's second-ranked club competition.
UEFA's Executive Committee announced on Thursday that from the season after next, the UEFA Cup will be based on a first round knockout of 80 teams, followed by a group phase of 40 teams in eight groups of five.
The top three teams in each group -- a total of 24 -- would then advance, joined by eight teams eliminated from the Champions League. The knockout competition would then continue with 32 teams.
The novelty in the group stage is that the five teams will not play each other home and away but will play each other only once. Each team will play four matches, two home and two away. The groups would be a mixture of clubs based on UEFA seedings.
UEFA also announced a change in their qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup finals.
There will be three groups of seven teams -- making 12 qualifying matches -- and five groups of six teams, with the eight group winners and two best runners-up qualifying automatically.
The other six runners-up will take part in play-offs, with three qualifying for the finals.
These World Cup proposals need to be agreed with FIFA in due course.
Taken from www.eurosport.com
Buy on AliExpress.com
