‘Champions League to change name over Man United and Tottenham mockery’
Manchester United and Tottenham’s dismal Premier League seasons are creating calls to rename the Champions League when one of them secures qualification via the Europa League this term.
Both sides are having terrible domestic campaigns, sitting 16th and 17th respectively in the Premier League table.
Man United beat Athletic Club 7-1 over two legs in their semi-final, while Tottenham were 5-1 aggregate winners over Bodo Glimt.
The final will take on added value, as not only will the winner take home some much-needed silverware, but they will also secure a place among Europe’s elite for next season.
Being in the Champions League brings in additional revenue and also increases pulling power in the transfer market, improving the ability to lure star talent.
Man United and Tottenham part of ‘biggest farce ever’
Since UEFA amended its rules in 2014, the Europa League winners have secured an automatic pass into the following season’s Champions League, regardless of their domestic league position.
For the first time since the competition was rebranded in 2009, the winners of the Europa League will finish lower than 12th, with both United and Spurs guaranteed to finish 13th or below.
| Position | Team | Games Played | Points |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 36 | 49 |
| 13 | Everton | 36 | 42 |
| 14 | Wolves | 36 | 41 |
| 15 | West Ham | 36 | 40 |
| 16 | Man United | 36 | 39 |
| 17 | Tottenham | 36 | 38 |
Speaking live on talkSPORT (12 May), former Tottenham and England striker Darren Bent thinks the European system needs a revamp, or at least dropping the “Champions” tag for the top-level competition as it makes a “mockery” of it to have such a poorly-performing side get in.
He said: “They [Man United and Tottenham] are effectively the two worst teams left in the Premier League, because the other three are relegated.
“There is no way on this planet that a team that’s lost 17 games in the league and a team that’s lost 20 games in the league should be in the Champions League next year, that’s the biggest farce ever.
“Change the name to the European Cup again, it cannot be the Champions League, you can’t have teams finishing 16th and 17th and call it the Champions League.”
Europa League still has magic
Football Insider Verdict
While the current situation is slightly ridiculous, there is still some merit to allowing the winners of the Europa League a free pass into the following season’s Champions League.
The fact that the two finalists this year are doing so poorly in the Premier League is an anomaly, with the winners of the competition usually finishing towards the top end of their domestic divisions.
Both Man United and Tottenham have discarded any thought towards their league form, and while that raises questions about mentality, there is no real benefit of finishing 13th instead of 16th or 17th.
By giving the Europa League winners an extra incentive, it ensures that the competition remains interesting and important at all times, with the competing teams forced to take it seriously.
There is a risk that if you took away Champions League qualification as a reward, teams would begin to treat games as pointless and the integrity of the Europa League could suffer.