If you tell someone that The Dutch historical football team; Ajax Amsterdam had to take a play off match to guarantee a UEFA Champions league seat, they wouldn’t without any doubt believe you. But, unfortunately, this is the truth. As we watched last two weeks Ajax had to play two matches against Apeol football team which is a very humble team in Europe though the best one in Cyprus. Ajax had finished the first match in Nicosia with a draw zero each, then it could hardly get its ticket after winning 2-0 in Uhan Cruyff arena.
Actually, the ugly thing about this UEFA qualification system is that it is based on the level of each European league. For example, the Premier League is very privileged as it can get up to five seats directly to the groups round, this is exactly the same thing for La Liga the Spanish league. Other leagues like the French league has guaranteed this year three teams in the group round while the Bundesliga; the German league has been given four teams and the Russian and the Portuguese leagues with two teams. Surprisingly, some very humble and maybe unknown leagues like the Belgian league has also got one team in the groups round as well as the Greek league. But the question here is: Why the Eredivisie can’t have one or two seats directly in the groups round? And what are the criteria that have been used by the UEFA to measure the level of each league? And are some leagues like the Belgian league and the Russian league better than the Eredivisie? And can we judge a team like Ajax,with all its tremendous and fantastic history and the trophies it has won, by the league it is part of? For me this is extremely unfair towards this great team that was and still an icon club in Europe and around the world. Furthermore, we all still remember its great and fabulous career last year in the champions league in which it depicted beautiful football scenes thanks to its young and talented players such as Zayech, de Jong and de Ligt...
Actually, the ugly thing about this UEFA qualification system is that it is based on the level of each European league. For example, the Premier League is very privileged as it can get up to five seats directly to the groups round, this is exactly the same thing for La Liga the Spanish league. Other leagues like the French league has guaranteed this year three teams in the group round while the Bundesliga; the German league has been given four teams and the Russian and the Portuguese leagues with two teams. Surprisingly, some very humble and maybe unknown leagues like the Belgian league has also got one team in the groups round as well as the Greek league. But the question here is: Why the Eredivisie can’t have one or two seats directly in the groups round? And what are the criteria that have been used by the UEFA to measure the level of each league? And are some leagues like the Belgian league and the Russian league better than the Eredivisie? And can we judge a team like Ajax,with all its tremendous and fantastic history and the trophies it has won, by the league it is part of? For me this is extremely unfair towards this great team that was and still an icon club in Europe and around the world. Furthermore, we all still remember its great and fabulous career last year in the champions league in which it depicted beautiful football scenes thanks to its young and talented players such as Zayech, de Jong and de Ligt...
