To Europe is reached by two paths

The screen of the Champions is hot. On Friday comes the draw for the final phase of qualifying for the top European competition. This year, UEFA wanted to reward the minor league teams, and ensured their attendance at the expense of early elimination of strong teams. In the end, have been two roads leading to Europe, very different.

On one hand, large. Arsenal, Sporting Lisbon, Olympique Lyon, Panathinaikos and Stuttgart will cross to Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Glasgow Celtic and Timisoara. All these are names that, at least, involve some walking in European competitions ( except Timisoara Romania, who qualified to dispatch to Shakhtar Donetsk). Crossings leave us, for sure, three or four out of the race leaders.

In counterpart, the screen is small, less recognized league teams but ended up champions. Olympiacos (Greece), Copenhagen (Denmark), Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) Maccabi Haifa (Israel) FC Zurich (Switzerland), will cross against Salzburg (Austria) APOEL (Cyprus), Ventspils (Latvian), Debreceni (Hungary ) and FC Sheriff (Moldova). These confrontations that will guarantee us a couple of teams to dress eccentric tournament.

My heart is divided over the measure. On the one hand, I confess that I hate to see teams like Arsenal, Atletico Lyon or exempt them so so unfair. Great virtue is finished in high positions in the most competitive leagues. But this measure also support democratization. For example, last year, I was captivated by the Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus, to the extent that I asked a friend traveling in Israel to bring me the shirt of the team. What do you think, pro or con?

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