27 Feb 2018 13:59:37
UEFA have confirmed a restructure to the Champions League - including changing the kick-off times and guaranteed entry to the group stages.

Liverpool's fourth-placed finish in last season's Premier League meant they had to navigate a play-off in August - against Hoffenheim - to qualify for the competition proper.

But under new rules sanctioned today ahead of the 2018/ 19 season, the top four from England - as well as Spain, Italy and Germany - will gain direct qualification into the group stages.

The tournament will also now have two new kick-off times, with the traditional 7.45pm kick off being replaced by 5.55pm and 8pm.

1.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 15:33:36
Does that mean fifth place teams go into ucl qualifiers?

2.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 16:32:54
TV ruining more football 🤬 So what about us people who work (aka piss around on the internet) from 8:00-5:30 and can't get home until 6:30? We just miss the first half so they can squeeze a bit more out of the sponsors and advertisement?

Why should English, Italian, German and Spanish sides get special treatment? Is this the start of UEFA trying to compromise over a break away league by giving the bigger clubs special treatment?

I don't like the sound of this at all. I appreciate you're just the messenger, sis. So i won't shoot you! I guess this is just natural progression as football tries to take in more money by protecting it's biggest draws in terms of audience from the top leagues, and also by making sure they can air more games. My prediction ( ) ; CL will be expanded to 64 teams next.

3.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 17:13:30
You’re forgetting that there is a time difference to UK so fence and Spain are 1 hour ahead for example. I only see the 6pm kick off as inconvenient for most in UK home games.

They’re also giving prefencial treatment to the teams of Italy UK, Spain etc because they are much higher quality than 2nd in the Dutch league or wherever else the like of a quarabag or ludogorets come from. It’s supposed to be the competition of Europe’s elite at the end of the day.

4.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 17:49:57
That early kick off is a joke. Who the hell come up with that shocker.

5.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 17:57:38
But I love to see the likes of Ludogorets, Dundalk and more recently Ostersunds performing well in europe. That's what makes the competition special IMO and I would support only the top team from each division qualifying. Gives us more desire to win the league then too.

6.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 19:17:24
I agree completely with MKS here. Why the hell should European countries get this special treatment? It's really ridiculous, I tell you. Could we look at kickoff times of maybe 3:30pm or 2:00am so that those of us in Asia could watch either right after dinner or first thing in the morning during breakfast? ;-)

7.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 19:19:10
The people who came up with the early kick off are probs my the people who want more money for tv rights.
More games shown, more advertising = more money. Hence why their is only about 4 3 oclock ko anymore.

8.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 20:07:45
You guys do realize that Europe has more than one time zone right? So a 7:45 kick off in the UK is actually a 9:45 kick off in the Ukraine or Romania or Greece, so the game doesn’t end until close to midnight and the fans then have to try to get home from these games at a ridiculous hour. Maybe UEFA should just change all the games to 7:45 CET, that would suit the majority of Europe, it would just mean games in England would start at 6:45 but I’m sure no one would complain about it.

9.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 20:12:49
I share that frustration MK, I think it's daft mate, needed to be kept how it was but they tend to enjoy messing with things these days.

10.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 20:59:11
Smeg Head is so right. I live in Bulgaria and the matches end at midnight. Most of the time I have to wake up early at the morning. So I have to choose either ti be well rested the next day or watch the cl league.

11.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 21:34:35
I imagine the English based teams will be kicking off at the 8pm time when playing at home at least. It’s all about getting more people to watch the game and therefore bring more money in so it wouldn’t make sense kicking off that early as nobody will be home to watch it.

12.) 27 Feb 2018
27 Feb 2018 21:53:01
I work shifts so gives me more chance to see games, not everyone works the 9-5 malarkey. As stated those the live in eastern Europe and beyond always finish late in the night, it's about time we passed the baton for a bit.

Baz.

13.) 28 Feb 2018
28 Feb 2018 09:40:24
i for one like the earlier kick-off times, means I don't have to schedule so many 8:45am - 10:45am meetings. yes I live in New Zealand and we like to watch too lol.

14.) 28 Feb 2018
28 Feb 2018 09:48:04
it was similar with the Europe League a couple of seasons ago. i had to use valuable holidays to book it off work as i couldn't get home in time! traffic in the city centre is a nightmare at that time. don't understand it tbh.