While it's easy to write off the
Europe League, as a distant second to the Champions' League, the fact remains
that it makes for compelling viewing. Looking at this season's group tables,
after just two rounds, one realizes how tricky it is to pick out likely
quarterfinalists, let alone winners or the final four.
There is parity, unpredictability
and, on account of the decidedly short sighted decision by UEFA to play games
on Thursdays, a general lack of full strength teams, as many managers rest key
players for the weekend tilts in the local league. As a result, from a neutral
point of view, few tournaments appear as open as this season's Europa League,
something that no doubt makes it fascinating to watch.
What's also becoming more
apparent is the relative level of importance accorded the tournament by sides
from different leagues. While clubs from the big five leagues of England,
France, Germany, Italy and Spain continue to treat it like a sideshow, seemingly
sleepwalking their way through the group stage, resting regulars and fielding
reserves; smaller teams from less glamorous leagues, especially Eastern Europe,
seem to be taking the tournament quite seriously.
At time of writing, several
minnows have started well and sit either atop or in second in their four team
groups. While a six match round robin stage gives the trailing teams plenty of
time to catch up, notably the bigger guns who have started, somewhat less
impressively, this early enthusiasm is a tonic the tournament can do with.
The fact remains that the apathy
displayed by Europe ’s bigger names towards the
Europa League is counterbalanced by the opportunity smaller clubs see it as. A
decent run in the tournament, aside from making the season memorable and adding
to the clubs’ history, has the potential for solid financial rewards. Matchday
revenue is a huge payout, especially if a big club visits or an extra game is
played in the knockout round. Moreover, the tournament is an extended shop window
for almost every player on the roster of a smaller club as they can showcase
their skills and attract interest from the financially well-heeled bigger
clubs.
Over the years, multiple African,
South American and Easter European players have used the Europa League as a
chance to make a good impression before sealing a move to one of the bigger
leagues. While the price is hardly the type that sees talent move from say
Bayern Munich or Juventus, or Milan to Barcelona, the transfer is one that
makes everyone happy. The buying club gets a decent talent they can work on for
a relatively small fee, the player in question gets his chance to move to a
bigger club and league, while the selling club cashes in on an asset with a
very healthy return. Often, with a smaller club’s Europa League sojourn over by
the time the group stages are done, players are sold in the January window and
assist their new clubs’ league campaigns, cup tied as they are in Europe.
So, the tournament is not just a
footballing competition but a cut price bargain marketplace as well with
merchandise moving from often obscure sellers to sharp eyed buyers.
This season, one sees the likes
of Czech side Viktoria Plzen , Ukraine ’s Dnipro and Metalist, Hungarian club
Videoton and Slovenian side Maribor ,
all occupy one of the top two spots in their groups. Admittedly Steaua
Bucharest, Rubin Kazan and Anzhi are similarly less glamorous, and perhaps
unheard of to most fans of the European club game. But Steaua have solid
pedigree, having won the European Cup (forerunner to the Champions’ League) in
1986, when it was a straight knockout competition, as well as making another
final in 1989 when it lost to Milan .
The nucleii of both those sides went to on help Romania
dazzle en-route to a quarterfinal elimination at World Cup ’94 in America . The
latter duo, however, are flush with money and have used their new found wealth
to emerge as two of the strongest clubs in Russia, pushing aside the
traditional Moscow quartet and competing with Zenit St. Petersburg. While their
ascents to the top of the group stage tables are worth noting, they are hardly
commendable.
Of more interest may be the slow
start of some of Europe ’s footballing nobility.
Liverpool for one, have lost at home to
Udinese and edged Young Boys of Switzerland, away 5-3. But the blooding of
several youngsters and fringe players was the real positive that the club took
away from those games. Elsewhere, Bundesliga club ‘Gladbach are winless with
just a point from their brace of games, as are fellow German side Stuttgart , bottom of
their group. Iberian pair Sporting Lisbon and Athletic Bilbao, with some of the
continent’s most sought after talent, are last in their respective groups. Meanwhile
every neutral’s favourite Napoli , are in
third, just outside the qualification spots. Group J, the closest thing to a
group of death, sees two of its biggest and best supported teams, Tottenham
Hotspur and Panathinaikos round out the bottom two spots, winless in four
games, with just three points between them.
Obviously, much of this will
change and the cream will rise to the top. But the biggest irony is the fact
that the clubs who treat it as an afterthought, are the ones UEFA executives
hope do well and want to see go deep in the draw. Their continued participation
is the fillip the tournament’s profile badly needs.
