Europa League Build Up

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Article by Johnny Murwill

The build up to the start of the Premier League, and the various transfer sagas accompanying it, has perhaps unsurprising overshadowed discussions about Tottenham’s involvement in the Europa League. Both the agony of missing out on its more glamorous relative in the Champions League, and Tottenham’s unceremonious dumping out of the competition on penalties last year, can hardly have enhanced the Europa League’s name. Yet, while holding little interest or attention from Spurs fans, the Europa League is a hurdle which will have to be dealt with, with the first qualifying round against Dinamo Tbilisi on Thursday. Many fans might be hoping for an early exit from the competition, and how it will be approached this season is of undoubted importance.

Last season, Andre Villas Boas stated that it was a competition that the club would take seriously, and he was true to his word, with strong teams turning up for all of the games. Concerns were made that playing 3 games in a week would leave the players jaded for weekend fixtures, but nevertheless Spurs put a strong team out for most games. Risk undoubtedly comes with such a strategy, as exemplified by the injury to Gareth Bale in the last minutes of a game against FC Basel. While Bale only missed two games, one was a crucial fixture against Everton at home. Spurs fans were left wondering what might have happened if Bale had been available for that game. Who knows whether Spurs would have turned a draw into a win – and accumulated the extra two points which would have seen them overturn Arsenal.

It would be surprising to hear AVB dismiss the competition in the same way that Spurs previously did under Harry Redknapp, especially given his statements that he does not understand why the competition is rated so lowly in England. Equally, while seen by many as a second rate competition, it is still a trophy. Few can honestly have said they were not bothered when watching Chelsea win it in dramatic fashion last season.

Chelsea celebrate winning last season’s Europa League.

Photograph: Christof Koepsel/Mirror

However, therein lies much of the problem with the Europa League. The fact that Chelsea were even involved in the knockout stages following their Champions League exit is one of the factors which supporters state sum up the competition’s worth. Equally, with Spurs needing to play 17 games to reach the final, the Europa League has a dragged-out feeling to its format. While plans to introduce a Champions League place for the winner will provide an incentive, this will not take place until the 2015/16 season. This would certainly provide a greater incentive for teams, yet it ironically further depreciates the value of the Europa League, taking away the possibility of any winner defending their title.

It is a competition that is evidently considered important to many European clubs and players, but the obstacles and cheapened nature of it provide a dangerous challenge for Spurs to overcome.

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