UEFA Cup Opponents 2006-2007

[Philippe]

We played the CL qualifying round because we won the playoffs. We earned it by the rules, and there was nothing of entering through any backdoor. There is only one club who does not belong to the CL but plays it : ac Milan

[Kowalczyk]

We played the CL qualifying round because we won the playoffs. We earned it by the rules, and there was nothing of entering through any backdoor.

You are right if you look at the plain facts: the play-offs are an official KNVB thing and every club in Holland knew that they were coming, and how they work. So, yes, we qualified the 'official way' - nothing dodgy about it.

But there's also a 'moral' aspect: Ajax finished 4th after a very poor season. In every 'normal' season they would have been in the UEFA Cup, but now there was a (legal! official!) escape opportunity through the backdoor. Which was a bit ironic, because the Ajax fans are unanimously against the play-offs. Everybody hates them, which makes it a bit ironic that they more or less saved our season...

You have to understand.

Anyway: even if you refuse to acknowledge the above, it would definitely be a dodgy escape route through the backdoor if Ajax qualify after all because the Portugese teams get banned. That would be... sick, really. Copenhagen eliminated us - period. Let's accept it. We're in the UEFA Cup and we're gonna have one hell of a good time, starting in Oslo! (nicer place than Milan anyway).

K.

[Philippe]

The only moral aspect in football IMO is cheating or not cheating. We did not cheat. We earned the CL qualifying round spot by winning the playoffs. There is nothing to be self conscious about. Even though the play offs system is totally stupid. This is the format of the competition.
Anyway, this will not happen, we will not play the CL.
So you are right, let's focus on the Dutch league, and the UEFA cup.

[Kowalczyk]

The only moral aspect in football IMO is cheating or not cheating. We did not cheat. We earned the CL qualifying round spot by winning the playoffs. There is nothing to be self conscious about. Even though the play offs system is totally stupid. This is the format of the competition.

Fair enough. Point taken.

But what if - hypothetically speaking - Gil Vicente go to court and all the Portugese sides are kicked out of UEFA competition. Do you feel it would be fair if they let clubs like Ajax in instead? That to me would be a complete joke and something we absolutely don't deserve. No matter how much I love my club... it would be a disgrace.

Non? ;)

K.

[Philippe]

as you say, this seems very unlikely, but should this happen, this would be ridiculous, I agree ;)

[Ayman]

Kowalczyk said:

But what if - hypothetically speaking - Gil Vicente go to court and all the Portugese sides are kicked out of UEFA competition. Do you feel it would be fair if they let clubs like Ajax in instead? That to me would be a complete joke and something we absolutely don't deserve. No matter how much I love my club... it would be a disgrace.

Well one of my good friend is a portuguese, and we have a little rivalry. He has got two over me, first Portugal knocked Holland out of the world cup, and obviously Ajax knocked out of the champions league. So you have to look at it from my perspective, it would be GOD DAMN SWEET if it did happen but very very unlikely.

[Kowalczyk]

According to the latest rumours (someone on Ajax Netwerk who received a phonecall from a friend in Portugal) Gil Vicente have decided to not go to court.

Right... According to the latest stories (in Portugese football newspaper A Bola, to be precise) Gil Vicente will go to court. Very determined, actually.

If that happens, all Portugese clubs will automatically be banned from UEFA competition as per 14 September. After that, UEFA will have to decide what they're going to do: carry on with a number of Champions League groups of only three teams, or appoint clubs to replace the Portugese ones. In the latter case Ajax would be one of the main candidates, but it is now believed that the UEFA would prefer groups of three teams.

K.

[Philippe]

it is now believed that the UEFA would prefer groups of three teams.

K.

meaning that all the teams in groups of 3 would be certain to play the UEFA cup after the group stage in the worst case ... :furious3:

[Ayman]

I really hope they opt to bring Chievo, Osasuna and Ajax. If so then Osasuna would have to be with B.Munich and Inter Milans group, as Chievo cannot be in the same group as an italian club, so they would be in the same group as Arsenal and Hamburg. While Ajax would have to cut their long trip short in scandinavia, instead of Norway, it would be Kopenhavn. I would love it, if this was the case, and I know deep down many of you all would want Ajax to be in the champions league. It should be that way, because it looks stupid to have 3 teams in 3 groups and the rest have four, and anyway it wont be fair on the others, so the competition wont be balanced. O please God........ :eusa_pray:

[Kowalczyk]

Well... I am looking forward to my trip to Norway. And I look forward to the UEFA Cup group phase, with some more trips to unusual places.

A year in the UEFA Cup? I'm up for it!

Sneaking into the Champions League? Wouldn't feel right.

K.

[Ayman]

Kowalczyk said:

Sneaking into the Champions League? Wouldn't feel right

I pose you this question....Whats better being knocked out of the Uefa cup quarter finals or the champions league quarter finals? Enough said....thank you.

[Philippe]

besides we could even be lucky enough to play the CL and then the UEFA cup in the same season :D

[ZoefdeHaas]

besides we could even be lucky enough to play the CL and then the UEFA cup in the same season :D

04/05 season? Was shite experience.

[Philippe]

you bet it was, was just teasing those who would prefer the UEFA cup to the CL
my strategy would be to play the CL, make lots of money, end 3rd of our group, and then play and win the UEFA
easy ;)

[Kowalczyk]

Sneaking into the Champions League? Wouldn't feel right

I pose you this question....Whats better being knocked out of the Uefa cup quarter finals or the champions league quarter finals? Enough said....thank you.

That's not at all what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about what would be best for the club, or what I would prefer. I'm talking about morality here. It wouldn't feel right to sneak into the Champions League this way. We don't belong there. We were eliminated.

K.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Sneaking into the Champions League? Wouldn't feel right

I pose you this question....Whats better being knocked out of the Uefa cup quarter finals or the champions league quarter finals? Enough said....thank you.

That's not at all what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about what would be best for the club, or what I would prefer. I'm talking about morality here. It wouldn't feel right to sneak into the Champions League this way. We don't belong there. We were eliminated.

K.

I thought that we were proud of the Ajax traditions. However, it seems that throughout all these years I had missed the tradition of creeping into competitions through the backdoor. For christs sake - we are Ajax and as such we have very good years and we rule the world or we are f*cking useless and we shouldn't be let near any European competition. We are in one of those F*cking useless phases at the momement but on the upward slope.

We don't belong in the CL as we weren't champions of Holland and also we got knocked out. I remember the days when you were knocked out of a competition it meant it was all over - nowadays you are given so many new chances its absolutely stupid.

Rant Over - off to the pub. :headbang:

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Sneaking into the Champions League? Wouldn't feel right

I pose you this question....Whats better being knocked out of the Uefa cup quarter finals or the champions league quarter finals? Enough said....thank you.

That's not at all what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about what would be best for the club, or what I would prefer. I'm talking about morality here. It wouldn't feel right to sneak into the Champions League this way. We don't belong there. We were eliminated.

K.

What you say is very true, i would not feel good either but getting into morality is going a bit too far, for christ sake just luck at Milan, now that is a morality issue. Our case would be somewhat similar too the Denmark of Euro 92, they dident qualify too the tournament but were given a chance due to circumstances not related in anyway too them, they ended up winning the tournament ;).

i`ll be happy with whatever happens anyway :yes:

[ZoefdeHaas]

WHat happened with the whole sotyr? It's passed the 14th, yet no story from what I heard of.

[Kowalczyk]

WHat happened with the whole sotyr? It's passed the 14th, yet no story from what I heard of.

UEFA announced that the Portugese clubs will not be banned. I haven't heard or read the story behind it (does that mean that Gil Vicente decided not to go to court?), but there was some sort of an official statement.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

IK Start sounds as though it could be a nice little trip.

And it was!

I think Pizza 5, Jock Cloggie and AFCA Madnezz will all agree that Oslo is right up there with Rome, Munich, Lyon and Bern. F**kin' A (see signature).

Had a marvellous time and I didn't forget my earplugs!

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Does anybody know when the draw for the UEFA Cup group phase will be?

On Friday, the day after the game...?

I can't find it anywhere...

K.

[Feest]

October 3rd 12:00

http://www.uefa.com/uefa/Keytopics/kind ... 25702.html

[Bert]

I'm not going to watch! :cheer:

[Kowalczyk]

Right then. Draw is this upcoming Tuesday, 03 October, in Nyon, Switzerland.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UEFACu ... 58728.html

There are 40 teams left and there will be eight groups of five teams. Ajax are the fifth side on the seeding list and will therefore be in pot 1, the pot of the eight highest seeded teams. This means we will not get cup holders Sevilla, Newcastle United, AC Parma, Panathinaikos and three others.

Each team will play four games: one against every opponent, two at home and two away. The first three teams from each group will advance to the knock-out stage.

There were some surprises in the first round of the UEFA Cup: Schalke '04, Legia Warsaw, Heart of Midlothian, Hertha BSC Berlin, West Ham United, Chievo Verona, Lokomotiv Moscow and Olympique Marseille crashed out, for example. Another major surprise was the fact that Feyenoord made it to the second round. :D

K.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Where can we see the team seedings in every pot ??? hat way we can have somekind of idea of what to expect in the next round.