UEFA Cup highlights quality

Posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 4:54 pm and is filed under News.

The draw for the 2008 UEFA Cup has emphasised the fact that the tournament is in no way a poor second cousin to the UEFA Champions League.

The 80 clubs that will participate in the 2008 UEFA Cup boast a collective total of 38 European football cups, with contestants collectively laying claim to 17 European Cups (Champions League), 11 UEFA Cups and 11 Cup Winners Cups.

In fact the recent defeat of Champions League winners Manchester United as the hands of UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg clearly demonstrated the fact that the UEFA Cup is deserving of far more respect than it gets from international football audiences.

Amongst the top tier European clubs who will kick off the 2008 UEFA Cup next week are SL Benfica, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund. Ajax Amsterdam, who play FK Borac next week, have claimed all three of Europe’s most prestigious club prizes.

UEFA General Secretary David Talyor pointed out that in some respects the UEFA Cup is superior to the Champions League, offering greater club diversity and more attacking play.
“Often you see more open, attractive, flowing football,” Taylor told reporters. “And you definitely see [a greater selection of] different teams from different countries.”