UEFA Europa Conference League Final Fiorentina v West Ham ** spoilers ** [Wednesday 7th June 2023 @ 8pm]

[HangTime]

Imagine the outcry if it had been a west ham player getting head injuries from projectiles and Fiorentina had won, you know full well the English media/public would be calling it a disgrace and brushing over the actual result rather than the other way round as it seems to be now.

Obviously the players deserve the credit for their victory so it's good to acknowledge that.

The Conference League is just a rebrand of the old Cup Winners Cup but because we have 4 CL spots and one of those typically wins the domestic Cup competition, the Conference League spot goes to the League. 20+ years ago, when there wasn't such a big CL, you had very good sides playing in both the Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Cup.

Yeah this is pretty much what I was thinking before reading this thread, we used to have 3x European tournies back in the day so it's not that different except for the fact you have more teams in the European Cup.
One thing I was never sure about however back in the day was whether the CWC or UEFA Cup was more prestigious. CWC felt better because it was all winners rather than teams finishing 2nd/3rd or whatever, even if the actual calibre of teams was more varied. I might be biased though having won it

 

[dannyjo22]

Imagine the outcry if it had been a west ham player getting head injuries from projectiles and Fiorentina had won, you know full well the English media/public would be calling it a disgrace and brushing over the actual result rather than the other way round as it seems to be now.

Agree, I'd ban them from home fans for their next couple of European games.

 

[BaZ87]

Yeah this is pretty much what I was thinking before reading this thread, we used to have 3x European tournies back in the day so it's not that different except for the fact you have more teams in the European Cup.
One thing I was never sure about however back in the day was whether the CWC or UEFA Cup was more prestigious. CWC felt better because it was all winners rather than teams finishing 2nd/3rd or whatever, even if the actual calibre of teams was more varied. I might be biased though having won it

I think the UEFA Cup was always seen as the 2nd biggest UEFA comp, at least from a qualification point of view. The Cup Winners Cup got hit harder and quicker by the growth of the CL too. When it was only 1 League side per nation in the European Cup you still had a realistic chance of a big sides in the CWC but once it grew to 2 and then 3 League sides in the CL, that almost always included the domestic Cup winners and then the CWC spot was going further down the League.

 

[adam cool dude]

I think the UEFA Cup was always seen as the 2nd biggest UEFA comp, at least from a qualification point of view. The Cup Winners Cup got hit harder and quicker by the growth of the CL too. When it was only 1 League side per nation in the European Cup you still had a realistic chance of a big sides in the CWC but once it grew to 2 and then 3 League sides in the CL, that almost always included the domestic Cup winners and then the CWC spot was going further down the League.

Cup winners cup from its inception to around the mid 90's was the second most prestigious. UEFA cup was always the third tier comp. The super cup was always the cup winners cup vs European cup.

The only time we won the super cup was when we won the cup winners cup. We lost both time when we were Champions League holders.

 

[Vandle]

Obviously Fairs Cup being the highest honour and so elite it’s not even talked about these days.

 

[Vandle]

It’s a funny thing like, European football. The UEFA comps outside champs league are so winnable by prem teams. They should all be giving it a proper go but they usually field a bit of an experimental side as the domestic season is so long and their goal of finishing in the top 7 to secure European football is an obvious priority. Just trying to stay on the boil I suppose until they can sneak a top 4 spot. If ever.

Thursday nights and Sunday league games get super tedious quickly. I missed loads when I lived in Newcastle. They were pretty drab affairs. Ground was never full. Cold and quiet in the old UEFA cup that was before the conference stuff they do now.
On the other hand I’ve been to Prague a few times and it’s an absolute class city for a night out, not sure I’ve been to better. Imagine being there with your mates for the weekend after a cup final win though. Pure carnage. So jealous of the West Ham fans.

 

[jaybee]

Came hear to say two things really:

1: West Ham fans continue to be up there with the worst. In all the times I've been to Emirates, the worst problems have been with West Ham fans. Obviously only a few bad apples, but of those few, they really are the pits.

2: Bowen would do well in a theatre school if he ever has to fall back on his football career. Very convincing dives. He loves the floor and seems to miraculously get very, very, very painful injuries where he likes to show the world how hard he can visibly rub his legs, before only seconds later, standing up and playing on. It's honestly pathetic and I know they all do it, but just thought I would highlight that Bowen is up there with the likes of Kane for diving. The best is when during a couple of attacks, he realizes the dive has not been bought and the recovery time from his world of pain comes down to only 3.5 seconds, instead of the usual 30 seconds plus. What a pansy.

 

[Vandle]

Yeah but there’s loads of them now in Wencelass square. Smashing beers, having not been to bed after watching their team win a European trophy. Doubt they are going to work tomorrow either so they may end up there another three days.

Fell I can’t overstate how much I wish I was one of them.

 

[BaZ87]

Cup winners cup from its inception to around the mid 90's was the second most prestigious. UEFA cup was always the third tier comp. The super cup was always the cup winners cup vs European cup.

The only time we won the super cup was when we won the cup winners cup. We lost both time when we were Champions League holders.

Is this based on something factual or your opinion? I always thought the UEFA Cup spot was considered the bigger prize and when it ended up going to League places (when the cup winners had already qualified for the European Cup), the UEFA Cup spot went to the side that finished higher.

 

[Vandle]

Based on nowt as usual.
cup winners cup let the like of Cardiff city into Europe and helped shape hooliganism as it is today.

 

[adam cool dude]

Is this based on something factual or your opinion? I always thought the UEFA Cup spot was considered the bigger prize and when it ended up going to League places (when the cup winners had already qualified for the European Cup), the UEFA Cup spot went to the side that finished higher.

From Wikipedia.

"The Cup Winners' Cup was regarded by UEFA as the second most prestigious European club competition, behind the European Cup and ahead of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (later the UEFA Cup).[2] From 1972 onwards, the winner of the tournament progressed to play the winner of the European Cup (later the UEFA Champions League) in the European Super Cup. Since the abolition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup place previously reserved for the Cup Winners' Cup winner has been taken by the winner of the UEFA Cup, now the UEFA Europa League."

Considering the European cup was for champions only, the Cup winners cup was for domestic cup winners only leaving the UEFA cup for the teams that haven't really won anything.

 

[BaZ87]

From Wikipedia.

Wiki isn't the best of sources and that quote refers to 1968 and then goes on to say that everybody considered the CWC as weaker than the UEFA cup. I'll see if I can find the qualification criteria from the 90s but I'm sure (assuming they didn't qualify from winning the Cup), the higher League position went into the UEFA Cup.

Both competitions were far higher in quality than both rebranded versions though and that's due to the CL.

 

[adam cool dude]

Wiki isn't the best of sources and that quote refers to 1968 and then goes on to say that everybody considered the CWC as weaker than the UEFA cup. I'll see if I can find the qualification criteria from the 90s but I'm sure (assuming they didn't qualify from winning the Cup), the higher League position went into the UEFA Cup.

Both competitions were far higher in quality than both rebranded versions though and that's due to the CL.

Yes by the mid 90's the CWC was weak and trash. Mainly thanks to the growth of the Champions League but I am talking about the period from its inception to around the mid 90's when it was a competition worth winning for the vast majority of its duration.

Our CWC win in 91 was far bigger than our Europa League win in 17. At least to United fans.

 

[BaZ87]

Of course a 90s CWC is bigger than a Europa from 2017. As we've discussed both competitions have been battered by the CL in the past 20 years. You get the odd year were the standard of the Europa can be quite high (next season obviously ) but it's a good 15+ years since it was a serious competition.