Most people aren't soccer fans. Out of those who are, there are many who only come around for the big international tournaments. Your World Cup or European Championship. Then there are those fans who are around all year, but even out of those some are Spanish fans, some are Italian fans, some are German fans, and then there are the English league fans. So if you are just starting to get into the soccer, or if you are a fan from another league, here are some things you should know before you dive in.
A lot of people try to align themselves with a team before they start watching. I think this is a mistake. Your team will find you. Some people panic and think that they can't be a valid fan without a team, and I just say calm down and don't worry. Give it a couple of weeks, watch a few matches, I promise you will find that player or team that you fall in love with. For example, my friend Matt never really watched football and last season started getting into it. One night after work, he came over and watched Chelsea v. Aston Villa in an early season match. He didn't know anything about the club or who was there, but he instantly fell in love with the team. First, he loved that they were beating my beloved Chelsea around, and second he loved Ashley Young. Before anybody knew what was going on he was wearing a Villa training shirt and the rest is history. Now, after he's learned a little more about the futility of a non-Big Four team, he is starting to align himself in the Liverpool camp. So is G. (at least with Villa you know you can't win the league, with Liverpool they tease you and it's still futile. I hate Scousers) Like I said, watch the games, and the team will find you.
Now, the way the league is set up, there is importance beyond just winning the league. The winner and runner-up win automatic bids into the premier club tournament, the UEFA Champions League. This is a competition between the best clubs in all of Europe. Third and fourth place are invited to a qualifying play-in match for the Champions League as well. For example, Liverpool finished third last season and are playing Standard Liege from Belgium in a qualifier tomorrow. If they win that they will advance to the Group Stage with teams like Real Madrid, United, and Chelsea.
The next few spots is where it gets complicated. England are granted 3 UEFA Cup spots. The UEFA Cup is basically the NIT tournament of Europe. It's respected, but obviously it is the second tier of European Club competition. You are granted a spot in this tournament if you finish in fifth place, win the FA Cup, or the Carling Cup. I know, your head is spinning. I've already named 5 different competitions, and it's starting to get a little congested. The FA Cup is a massive competition in England. It's a knockout tournament, and every team is allowed to play in it. And I do mean every team. If you have a soccer club with your friends at your local pub, you are allowed to enter into the tournament. It is the oldest tournament in the world, and it carries a lot of prestige with it. The Carling Cup is another knockout club tournament in England. However, unlike the FA Cup only Football League teams may participate. That means Premiership, Championship, and Football Leagues 1 and 2. Still, it is a pretty deep tournament. Now, more often than not teams that finish in the top 5 win those tournaments, and in that case the spot goes to the runner-up. If the runner-up also already qualifies for Europe, than the UEFA Cup spot goes to the 6th placed team, or 7th placed team. Let me give you examples.
Last season, Portsmouth won the FA Cup, and Tottenham won the Carling Cup. Neither team finished in the top 5 (remember, top four go to champions league, and 5th goes to UEFA Cup). So because of that, Portsmouth and Tottenham get bids into the UEFA Cup, as well as Everton because they finished in 5th.
The season before that, Chelsea won the FA Cup and the Carling Cup. They also finished in Second, giving them automatic qualification into the Champions League. So, the spots went to the 6th and 7th placed teams in the Premiership. Understand a little better now? If not post your questions or comments on the bottom.
There's still more to go though. UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, also grants an extra spot for the UEFA Cup to any league that has the best Fair Play Coefficient. This is basically the league that showed the best sportsmanship, the least amount of fouling and red cards, and presents the best example of Fair Play. Last year England had the best Fair Play Coefficient so they were granted another UEFA Cup spot, and that went to Aston Villa, because they finished in 6th place.
So, in all actuality, there are 8 teams in England playing for the right to enter European tournaments every season. The European tournaments bring around buckets of television money, as well as exposure to more potential fans. They are extremely lucrative, and missing out can be massively detrimental to a club. They open the door for extra player signings, new stadiums, and new coaching staffs.
Beyond playing for Europe, teams play for money. The higher you finish in the table, the more prize money you earn, and again money makes your team better. Finally, you are playing to not be relegated. Unlike American sports, your team can be demoted. Imagine the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates being sent down to Triple-A every other season. The bottom three clubs are sent down to the Championship, and the top clubs from the Championship get a chance to play in the Premiership. This keeps everything interesting in the bottom half of the table, and you will find that some of the best games to watch come late in the season between relegation-bound clubs. Relegation can ruin a club, just the same way promotion can save one.
That's my guide to following the Premiership. I hope it proved to be some help, and I hope you have a better idea of what you are watching come this weekend. Again, I know it can all be a little bit overwhelming, but if you have any questions or comments leave them at the bottom, and I will post them up at the end of the week. Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment