Well done shels - what it means for the league

KevIRL

Despite the overall poor performance last night and giving away 2 away goals Shels have done well for themselves and the EL. Ireland are now up 2 places to 38th place in UEFA coefficient table

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method3/crank2005.html

Also because Shels have gotten a draw last night they now get a club coefficient ranking (only available from the 1st round of the champions League or UEFA cup onwards). This club coefficient will last for 5 years and will be enough to ensure a seeding in the 1st qualifying round of the Champ League or UEFA cup during this time. Offering a great chance for furthere progression!

Draupnir

Do Bohs have one of these club coefficients already, or are Shels first?

I have to say, what impressed me most about Shelbourne last nite was their support. Their fans didnt stop singing from start to finish, in spite of the weather.

Hopefully they can get something away to Lille, and I wouldnt be surprised if they did. That could really be a huge boost for the league. What the Eircom needs now is regular European runs like this one from its top clubs.

thejollyrodger

Great news that the league is up to 38th. I think the league could eventually get to 30th or even 25th 26th if the club follow the shels example.

What does club coefficient ranking mean ? Do they now get drawn against a weaker team or something ? Or do they have 1 less tie to play?

I still think Shels can beat lille in France. At this level I think its a lot to do with tatics and mentality (like murnihino quoted). Last night showed that.

KevIRL

Draupnir wrote:

Do Bohs have one of these club coefficients already, or are Shels first?
.

Bohs have one from their run a few years back which took them past Aberdeen and they got a win in Kaiserslauten. I do believe that this year was the last year of that ranking for bohs however

KevIRL

thejollyrodger wrote:

What does club coefficient ranking mean ? Do they now get drawn against a weaker team or something ? Or do they have 1 less tie to play?

QUOTE]


It means that Shels will be seeded in the 1st qualifying round of any competition for the next 5 years (as not many clubs at this early stage would have a club ranking) thus meaning they get an easier draw and a much better chance of progressing. This in turn will help the leagues chances of gaining more ranking points for the national co-efficent.

KevIRL

After last night’s UEFA Cup First Round First Leg fixtures, including Shelbourne’s 2-2 draw with Lille, the Republic of Ireland co-efficient for 2005/06 European club competition currently stands at 4.164 and the eircom League is ranked 38th out of 52 UEFA national leagues. At the commencement of 2004/05 UEFA competitions, the eircom League was ranked 40th and possessed a co-efficient of 3.164.

As a result, the immediate knock-on effect is that it is now likely that the eircom League’s representatives in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round draw will be seeded although it is also possible that a number of factors may combine to prevent the eventual 2004 eircom League Champions from being seeded in the draw.

Seedings for draws are based on a combination of national and club coefficients. National coefficients are calculated based on a total of each country’s clubs’ record in UEFA competition for the previous five seasons (see table below) while additional club coefficient points can only be gained by clubs in the UEFA Cup First round proper and onwards and in the Champions League Group Stages and beyond.

The increase in the eircom League’s national coefficient from 3.164 to 4.164 is due to the one point earned by Shelbourne “for the eircom League” as a result of last night’s draw (two points would be gained for a win at this stage of competition and beyond) which has been added to the three points already gained by eircom League clubs in European competition this season (see breakdown below). This figure (four) is then divided by the number of clubs in UEFA ranking competition – three in the eircom League’s case – to give the season figure.

In effect, the 2004-05 figure (1.333) replaces the 1999/00 figure (0.333) for the purposes of calculating the eircom League’s national co-efficient for the 2005/06 season. This figure will obviously be improved upon should Shelbourne either draw with or beat Lille and progress to the group stages of the UEFA Cup. What’s more, the point gained last night – and any more gained by Shelbourne this season – will be added to and remain part of the club’s additional coefficient in coming seasons just as Bohemians continue to benefit from the two points gained for their victory over Kaiserslautern in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup.

As outlined above, the eircom League lies 38th out of 52 countries. However, of the 14 national leagues ranked beneath the eircom League, three (Andorra, Liechenstein and San Marino) do not qualify to compete in the Champions League, effectively meaning that there are only 11 national leagues ranked beneath the eircom League. As there are 22 teams in the Champions League First Qualifying Round draw, as it stands, the eircom League representative would therefore be one of the 11 seeded teams, theoretically resulting in a more favourable draw.

However, of the 11 leagues beneath the eircom League, one contains a team which possesses additional club coefficient points. The Maltese league is in 42nd position (coefficient of 2.998) and one of its clubs, Birkirkara, has one club co-efficient point gained from previous UEFA competition. There are no clubs from the remaining 10 leagues still in European competition this season therefore none will be able to pick up any club coefficient points.

Therefore, even if Shelbourne lose to Lille, the only scenario in which this season’s eircom League Champions will not be seeded is if Birkirkara win the Maltese League and neither Shelbourne nor Bohemians win the 2004 eircom League title (as they are the only eircom League clubs with additional club co-efficient points as outlined above) as Birkirkara would have a higher combined coefficient than any other eircom League representative in the Champions League.

For example, were Shelbourne to lose to Lille but qualify for either the UEFA Cup or Champions League, their seeding next season would be 2.382 (4.146 divided by three, plus one). Similarly, if Bohemians qualify for European competition next season, their seeding would be 3.382 (4.146 divided by three, plus two).

To put the eircom League’s current 2004/05 coefficient and the overall national coefficient it will carry into the 2005/06 competition into context, were the eircom League to either match or better the current 1.333 figure for the next three to four seasons, then its overall figure would rise significantly from the current 4.164, most likely resulting in eircom League teams being comfortably seeded in the qualifying rounds of both the UEFA Cup and Champions League on a regular and continual basis provided the current success in Europe was maintained.

However, the eircom League still has a considerable way to go before its representative in the Champions League would be exempt from the First Qualifying Round. Currently teams from national leagues ranked 28th and below enter at the first qualifying round stage. For the eircom League to be ranked above that, a coefficient of approximately 10-12 is required – in other words an improvement of about six to eight points on our current total.

-o-

Co-efficient points gained by eircom League clubs in UEFA competition this season to date:

InterToto Cup
Cork City - no points awarded for this competition

UEFA Cup, Qualifying Round
Longford Town - two defeats to Vaduz, no points
Bohemians - one defeat (0pts), one draw with Levadia Tallinn in qualifying round, 0.5pts

UEFA Champions League, Qualifying Rounds
Shelbourne - two draws with KR Reykjavik, 0.5pts each = 1pt; one defeat, one win against Hajduk Split, 1pt; one draw, one defeat against Deportivo La Coruna, 0.5pts

UEFA Cup, First Round
Shelbourne (to date) - one draw with Lille, 1pt

Total to date: 4pts, which is divided by the number of eircom League clubs in UEFA competition (3) to give a co-efficient to date for 2004-05 of 1.333

-o-

eircom League UEFA coefficients, 1999/00 to 2004/05

Season Coefficient
99-00 0.333
00-01 1.666
01-02 0.666
02-03 0.166
03-04 0.333
04-05 1.333

The eircom League’s national coefficient of 3.164 for 2004/05 UEFA competition is a total of the 99/00 to 03/04 figures. Currently, the eircom League’s co-efficient for the 2005/06 season is 4.164. This is subject to improvement depending on Shelbourne’s further participation in the UEFA Cup.

-o-

eircom League ranking out of 52 UEFA National Leagues, 2000 to 2005*

Year Ranking
1999 41
2000 41
2001 38
2002 37
2003 39
2004 40
2005 38

*current standing

Big Ears

Good news for the league and lets hope theres more success more Shels .

thejollyrodger

intresting post there. 26th is a very long away from 38th and thats only to go into the 2nd round. I dont know if the rest of the E.L clubs can get into the 3rd round of the Champions league or if even Shels can do it again next year. They would really need to adopt Shels professional approach. I guess it really comes down to money !

KevIRL

thejollyrodger wrote:

intresting post there. 26th is a very long away from 38th and thats only to go into the 2nd round. !

Well we have to start with the basics. And this means as many EL sides WINNING matches (not just ties) in the UEFA cup and Champions League qualifying. The easiest place to do this is the 1st qualifying round. This years return from this stage was v disappointing

Shels - 2 draws (worth 0.333 ranking points)
Bohs - 1 draw (worth 0.166 ranking points)
Lonford - No Ranking points.

Considering we ae playing the other low ranked nations at this early atage we need to be aiming for 3 home wins and 3 away draws. This is a very realisitic target. If we could achieve this we would have 1.5 ranking points each year to begin with and then have 3 sides into the 2nd qualifying round with the high possibility of at worst picking off a draw or 2 out of the 6 matches.

KdjaCL

Its back to where it was before Shels lost us 2 points in 2001 , is it well done for getting it back up or about fekkin time you did somfin useful?
in 2001 after Bohs superb euro adventure , St Pats won tur 2 rounds , Bohs again did well and we got to 38 but Shels lost ot the mega Hibs of Malta which lost us 2 points which we only recovered now.

Its a league thing not just one club , althought the Irony of the fact you stole the legaue on St Pats (im not bitter :0 )then lost to a Maltese side is not lost me , oh football has it owns justice system

kdjac

thejollyrodger

It seems like all swings and round abouts. Is the league any more developed than 2 years ago ? Next season could just end up being back to square one if the teams dont make it through to the 3rd round.

KevIRL

thejollyrodger wrote:

It seems like all swings and round abouts. Is the league any more developed than 2 years ago ? Next season could just end up being back to square one if the teams dont make it through to the 3rd round.

This is the key Jolllyrodger. Consistency. We need the teams who qualify to win games every year and then we will move up the rankings.

Hopefully the mighty blues can lead the way next year after we win the cup!

KdjaCL

thejollyrodger wrote:

It seems like all swings and round abouts. Is the league any more developed than 2 years ago ? Next season could just end up being back to square one if the teams dont make it through to the 3rd round.

Yes if you believe Shels fitness of being mid season actually helped them this season, football wise its worse off. in 2001 there were 4 good sides playing on form. This year only 1 in europe.

kdjac

thejollyrodger

Its probably all down to the draw. Some seasons the clubs will do well, other seasons they wont.

5 or 6 clubs in the E.L priemer divison would need to go full time professional. Not in name only, if they want to really raise the low standards. A professional club will do the homework on the opposition properly and be tatically right on the night, the players will (should) be up for it and will easily put away a club which arent as good as they are. Being part timer or amature is no substitute. I guess it really all boils down to money

eirebhoy

Cork's Intertoto run seems to have attracted interest in their players. George O'Callaghan has had 2 or 3 bids from Nantes while John O'Flynn has had interest from Spain Portugal and France.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/story.asp?j=145733000&p=y4573387z&n=145733878&x=

Big Ears

Its good to have clubs interested but its not good for them to leave(not good for the league that is) , and the leaving looks exactly like whats going to happen .