Artmedia make CL group stages

eirebhoy

They knocked Celtic and Partizan out in the qualifiers to make the group stages. This is probably equivalent to a current Eircom League club making the group stages.

Partizan knocked Newcastle out of the CL 2 years ago and got to the last 16 of the UEFA cup last season, getting knocked out by winners CSKA. We all know about Celtic. It is some achievement for them to make it to the group stages but they will no doubt be the whipping boys.

and to think they were minutes away from being knocked out by a team from Kazakhstan in QR1...

mike65

fair play to them, and here's hoping they are drawn in the same group as Pool!

Mike.

ps Setanta have Man Utd and Everton second half tomorrow night.

Jivin Turkey

FC Thun also make it to the group stages.

Only 9 years ago they were playing non-league football :eek:

eirebhoy

Jivin Turkey wrote:

FC Thun also make it to the group stages.

Only 9 years ago they were playing non-league football :eek:

hehe. 3 pretty poor teams have qualified in Rosenborg, Thun and Artmedia. Don't know how Rapid Vienna are doing at the moment domestically but they aren't exactly top class either. Valerenga are also close to qualifying. Thats 5 teams who will be almost certain to finish bottom of their groups (bar maybe 1 suprise). Certainly different to last year when Deportivo, Roma, Celtic, Anderlecht and PSG finished bottom.

MrJoeSoap

Jivin Turkey wrote:

FC Thun also make it to the group stages.

Only 9 years ago they were playing non-league football :eek:

Met 3 Swiss FC Thun fans at the Shels game on friday, singing proudly along with the Shels fans, 2 of them were even wearing the blue Shels jersey. Told them I'd keep an eye out for Thun, gonna be much easier now.

Rosenborg scraped past Steaua, despite a late comeback.

Just as a matter of interest Eirebhoy, would you rather see Shels or Celtic in the group stages?

jubbly

Rosenborg just scrapped through to the group stages, I think they are going to be the wipping boys in the group as well, there team is very old now.

The champions league (correct me if I am wrong) doesnt seem as great as it once was. Were there always teams like FC Thun making it through ?

Pigman II

Congrats to Thun and esp Artmedia (any arsekicker of Celtic is a friend of mine).

However is it just me or does the draw seem a bit screwed up this season? Sporting v Udinese, Villarael v Everton, Monaco v Betis. Fair enough some of these teams may have no european pedigree but anyone could be forgiven for thinking that a team that qualifys from the Prem, LaLiga or Serie A is going to be far stronger than than some middle of the road side that qualifys for the CL prelims every year by virture of coming out of a weak league. I'm pretty sure any of those 6 could beat Thun or Artmedia yet three of them are automatically out as soon as the draw is made!

I think there has to be a rethink on the qualifying format or how Euro coefficents are calculated tbh.

Badabing

Pigman II wrote:

Congrats to Thun and esp Artmedia (any arsekicker of Celtic is a friend of mine).

However is it just me or does the draw seem a bit screwed up this season? Sporting v Udinese, Villarael v Everton, Monaco v Betis. Fair enough some of these teams may have no european pedigree but anyone could be forgiven for thinking that a team that qualifys from the Prem, LaLiga or Serie A is going to be far stronger than than some middle of the road side that qualifys for the CL prelims every year by virture of coming out of a weak league. I'm pretty sure any of those 6 could beat Thun or Artmedia yet three of them are automatically out as soon as the draw is made!

I think there has to be a rethink on the qualifying format or how Euro coefficents are calculated tbh.

Yeah they should only let the champions qualify for the champions league.

Töpher

Badabing wrote:

Yeah they should only let the champions qualify for the champions league.

Nail. Hammer. Head.

eirebhoy

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Just as a matter of interest Eirebhoy, would you rather see Shels or Celtic in the group stages?

Celtic obviously. Celtic matches in the CL are huge nights for me. I'd support Shels in the CL but I wouldn't be getting a 6-pack of cans and looking at the clock thinking its going slower and slower before kickoff.

jubbly

Yeah they should only let the champions qualify for the champions league.

They had that before, it was called the European cup or whatever.. only the winner of the league in each country was allowed in. Personally i prefer the champions league.

I would support an Irish club in the champions league quicker than any foreign team as well. Buying beer for Celtic, that kind of foreign team support can only be found in ireland :rolleyes:

eirebhoy

jubbly wrote:

Buying beer for Celtic, that kind of foreign team support can only be found in ireland :rolleyes:

Celtic are foreign? :eek:

jubbly

Last time I checked yes.

eirebhoy

jubbly wrote:

Buying beer for Celtic, that kind of foreign team support can only be found in ireland

"hallo,

I would like to join this Soccer forum. I have a keen intrest in the English Premer league and La Liga."

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3155384&postcount=1

"I support Shelbourne Aston Villa and Santos"

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3159591&postcount=3

tut tut.

jubbly

In that order.

WhiteWashMan

well, the teams that got there, di so fairly and sqaurely, so i guess they deserve to be there.

after all, rule 11c states, the team with the most goals at the end of the game wins...