2019-20 abandoned, here comes 2020-21 Champions League

[seand]

As it's becoming increasingly difficult for European leagues to finish their 2019-20 seasons I've taken the liberty of organising next season's Champions League based on those countries who have already completed their seasons and nominated their qualifiers.

The new UEFA country rankings are as follows:
1 Belarus
2 Sweden
3 Norway
4 Kazakhstan
5 Moldova
6 Ireland
7 Finland
8 Iceland
9 Lithuania
10 Latvia
11 Estonia
12 Georgia
13 Faroe Islands
Belarus, Sweden, Norway and Kazakhstan, the traditional Big 4, will have four automatic berths each in the group stage. Moldova and Ireland will have two automatic berths and one in the qualifiers. The champions of Finland, Iceland, Lithuania and Latvia enter at the group stage with their runners-up in the qualifiers. The champions and runners-up of Estonia and the Faroes would ordinarily start in the qualifying rounds. As no title holder is available to qualify automatically for the group stage the champions of Estonia will take their place. As there is no Europa League title holder their place goes to the third placed team in Moldova.
There are three spaces reserved for league winners to progress through the qualifiers but only two other champion left, so the Georgian and Faroese champions receive a bye into the group phase. There are still four places to be filled so the third placed team in Ireland receive a bye and the runners-up in Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Faroes play off for the final three spots.

The eight top seeds are the champions of the eight highest ranked countries, the worldwide superpowers Dynamo Brest, Djurgardens, Molde, Astana Sheriff, Dundalk, KuPS and KR.
The full list of teams is as follows
Group Stage
Belarus [4]: Dynamo Brest, BATE Borisov, Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Dinamo Minsk
Sweden [4]: Djurgardens, Malmo, Hammarby, AIK
Norway [4]: Molde, Bodo/Glimt, Rosenborg, Odd
Kazakhstan [4]: Astana, Kairat, Ordabasy, Tobol
Moldova [3]: Sheriff, Sfantul Gheorghe, Petrocub-Hincesti
Ireland [3]: Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians
Finland [1]: KuPS
Iceland [1]: KR
Lithuania [1]: Suduva
Latvia [1]: Riga
Estonia [1]: Flora
Georgia [1]: Dinamo Tbilisi
Faroes [1]: KI
Playoffs:Inter Turku [FIN]. Breidablik [ICE],Zalgiris [LIT], RFS [LAT], Dinamo Batumi [GEO], B36 [FRO]

[White No Sugar]

Belgium have finished. Announced today. Sorry.

[ursus arctos]

I've been reading about this in Belgian sources, and it appears to be a bit more complicated than generally reported.

Although it is still subject to approval via a formal vote of the clubs, Belgium has decided to end its competition for this year and award Club Brugge the title (they had a 15 point lead when matches stopped).

Promotion and relegation are still under discussion.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I've been reading about this in Belgian sources, and it appears to be a bit more complicated than generally reported.

Although it is still subject to approval via a formal vote of the clubs, Belgium has decided to end its competition for this year and award Club Brugge the title (they had a 15 point lead when matches stopped).

Promotion and relegation are still under discussion.

A very sensible precedent.

[Capybara]

They are able to do this with some integrity because there was only one game left of the regular season. The Belgian league ends with a complicated play-off system.

[Sporting]

In many ways it's logical and fair that Brugge be awarded the Belgian title and that Liverpool be crowned English champions. Short of Devon Loch disasters they were shoo-ins.

But what to do in Spain, for example, or Germany? And if we say, okay, the top three/four get into the CL anyway then what to do about the situation in England where Man Utd, say, might be denied a whole season's worth of CL revenue at the same time as not being able to attract top players in the transfer window as those players would prefer to compete in that competition?

[White No Sugar]

The relegation place is still up for grabs as well as CL & EL positions. It’s gonna be interesting. I’d imagine other countries will be looking towards Belgium for ideas/ inspiration. Winter WC looming as well.

[Various Artist]

I'm waiting for Seand to start simulating the results of his competition. I love the look of that lineup, it's a thousand times more interesting than the normal shower who annually turn up for the Champions League. I want to see how it plays out now!

[Jah Womble]

In many ways it's logical and fair that Brugge be awarded the Belgian title and that Liverpool be crowned English champions. Short of Devon Loch disasters they were shoo-ins.

But what to do in Spain, for example, or Germany? And if we say, okay, the top three/four get into the CL anyway then what to do about the situation in England where Man Utd, say, might be denied a whole season's worth of CL revenue at the same time as not being able to attract top players in the transfer window as those players would prefer to compete in that competition?

Not sure you were being serious, but it’s neither ‘logical’ nor ‘fair’. You can’t go dishing out trophies based on pure supposition, regardless of either the severity of the situation at hand, or indeed how far ahead a side might be. Apart from the complications doing so would throw up regarding promotions/relegations/European qualification elsewhere, it would set a highly unwieldy precedent for the future - not to mention be hugely damaging to the integrity of the sport. The season needs to be finished properly at all levels, even if this means going into (what would otherwise be) next season.

Anyways, as you were!

[Sporting]

Fair points which is why I prefaced my comments with "In many ways". But yeah, I think you're right.

[Southport Zeb]

As it is unclear when games will be able to restart, I'd plan to pick up this season's league competitions in early 2021, with the hope being to get back to a normal schedule for the 2021-22. Once its clear when a restart can happen then you can plan some interim competitions.

[ursus arctos]

UEFA are annoyed at the Belgians.

Click through to read the whole thread

https://twitter.com/tariqpanja/status/1245805539466108933

[jwdd27]

I thought Belgium had a Superleague style post-season for the top 6, with the winners and runners up of the grand final taking the Champions league places, which makes it less obvious to declare Brugge the winners. I might be wrong though.

[Wouter D]

They do, but it's easy to axe that post-season and just declare whoever leads the regular season (which was over except for a single round) the champions. Given that Club Brugge were leading by 15 points, this is a relatively easy argument to make.

Anderlecht seem to be throwing a fit on the basis that they could still qualify for the postseason and hence the European places, but even they seem on board with declaring Club Brugge champions.

[seand]

I'm waiting for Seand to start simulating the results of his competition. I love the look of that lineup, it's a thousand times more interesting than the normal shower who annually turn up for the Champions League. I want to see how it plays out now!

Well this was looking like a null thread for a long time, but I was toying with the idea. The Belgian situation will have to go to the committee for consideration. There's an added complication there in that I have a soft spot for Club Brugge, but I'll try not to let that affect the integrity of the process.

[Jah Womble]

As it is unclear when games will be able to restart, I'd plan to pick up this season's league competitions in early 2021, with the hope being to get back to a normal schedule for the 2021-22. Once its clear when a restart can happen then you can plan some interim competitions.

Yep, exactly - if this season has to become known as '2019-21', then so be it.

[Various Artist]

Well this was looking like a null thread for a long time, but I was toying with the idea. The Belgian situation will have to go to the committee for consideration. There's an added complication there in that I have a soft spot for Club Brugge, but I'll try not to let that affect the integrity of the process.

Do it Sean, I'll await the committee's response with impatience.

[Satchmo Distel]

It would be nice if they announced they only had enough spare dates to do a straight knock-out in 2020-21. Won't happen obviously.

I think the most feasible idea is the one floated on the Coronavirus thread a few weeks ago (by Rogin, I think) of switching to a Jan-Dec calendar until we get through WC 2022. That would mean playing out 2019-2020 this Autumn then starting 2021 qualifiers as soon as weather permits. One problem will be that semi-pro clubs above a certain latitude simply cannot play in Jan-Feb-early March.

[seand]

With Belgium not finishing out their league properly unfortunately they aren't eligible for the Alternative Champions League 2020-21. Coming shortly, the playoff round draw.

Seeded teams
Zalgiris [LIT] UEFA coefficient = 6.000
B36 [FRO] 3.750
RFS [LAT] 1.525

Unseeded teams
Inter Turku [FIN] 1.300
Breidablik [ICE] 1.250
Dinamo Batumi [GEO] 1.150

[seand]

Brediablik v Zalgiris
Dinamo Batumi v B36
Inter Turku v RFS

First leg to be played on 6 April, second leg to be played on 6 April as well, sure we might as well move this sorry show along

[Sporting]

Looking forward...

[Felicity, I guess so]

How are the scores to be decided? In my fantasy FA cups of childhood there were methods using dice but also octagonal pencils which allowed for 0 and two 1s

[seand]

How are the scores to be decided? In my fantasy FA cups of childhood there were methods using dice but also octagonal pencils which allowed for 0 and two 1s

In the finest traditions of international sports organisations there is a Byzantine system to calculate the winners and losers..... including but not limited to the careful calculation of the content of brown envelopes, deposits in off shore accounts, TV market share, political influence, quality and quantity of food, prostitutes and other daily essentials supplied. There's something over 2 billion euro for distribution, so if I don't end this campaign with 100m+ in the bank and the presidency of a major organisation something's gone horribly wrong.

Brediablik v Zalgiris 1-1, 0-2, Zalgiris win 3-1 on aggregate
Dinamo Batumi v B36 1-1, 0-0, B36 win on away goals
Inter Turku v RFS 2-1, 1-0, Inter win 3-1 on aggregate

[fatbear]

Brediabik v Zalgiris 2-0, 0-1 Brediabik win 2-1 on aggregate ( ex Dundee Utd/Ross County Thomas Mikklesen vs ex Liverpool/Swansea David N'gog ? )
Dinamo Batumi v B36 5-0,1-1, Batumi win 6-1 on aggregate ( Georgian club football generally alot stronger than Faerose )
Inter Turku v RFS 2-0, 1-1 RFS Riga, Inter Turku win 3-1 on aggregate ( I've never heard of RFS ! )

[anton pulisov]

Ajax, PSV and AZ have all said that they would like to see the current season scrapped. Feyenoord are adopting a wait and see approach.

Meanwhile the scum at UEFA have threatened all countries that don't play out their league fixtures behind closed doors with expulsion from next year's European competitions.