Right guys lot of confusion over Qualifying so thought id clear it up,
In the Champions League there are two qualifying paths. The Champions Section and the non Champions Section. Champions Section doesn't concern us . So Non Champions Section is made up of 2 rounds and 15 teams.
SO NON CHAMPIONS
5 Spots Available.
3RD Qualifying Round will Contain
Braga, Fenerbache, Spartak Moscow, Feyenoord, Club Brugge, Motherwell + the runners up from Greece, Romania + Denmark and finally Dynamo Kiev
These 10 sides play eachother two legged game with the 5 winners progressing to play the 5 4th/3rd place teams
Play Off Round
Tottenham, Udinese, Gladbach, Lille and Malaga. vs 5 winners
Should Chelsea win the Champions League We take Spurs away. And Braga And Spartak Moscow move directly into the Play Off Round so we can still have 5 ties in the Play Off.
example if Chelsea Win.
3rd qualifying round
Fenerbache vs Club Brugge
Motherwell vs Greek runners up
Danish runners up vs Feyenoord
Romanian Runners up vs Dynamo.
Play Off Round
Udinese vs Dynamo/Romania
Broussia vs Feyenoord/Denmark
Malaga vs Motherwell/Greece
Gladbach vs Udinese
Spartak vs Braga
5 games 5 winners go into group stage.
ARSENAL NO MATTER WHAT WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUP STAGE.
People keep bringing up Liverpool so too clear that up. In 2005 Liverpool won the champions league and came 5th. Before this Uefa had a verbal expectance that should a country win the Champions League but not qualify, then the FA of that country would give up a place to the holder.
Our FA wanting to flex it's muscle refused to take away Evertons Champions League place knowing UEFA wouldn't hold the competition without ITS holders. Winning a tournament without the holders devalues the competition. So UEFA entered Liverpool themselves as a UEFA representative. Liverpool were NOT an English club. This is why in the group stage Liverpool were able to draw Chelsea in the Group stage. This is also why UEFA hates England because frankly we were dicks and should have taken away Evertons place in the 1st place.
