How to make the CWC more interesting

- Invite the previous champion so they can defend the title.

- Make them all play since round of last 8.

Voilà.

Thoughts?

Whom would you invite if the last champion qualifies as continental champion, too?

Doesn't happen much.. I guess the finalist of that continental competition or of the CWC?

It is already so much intersting for the people around globe except for the Europeans. How to make it more interesting for Europeans that must be the question?

@free-cat, not a good idea. it will be too tasking. as far club football is concerned, the champions league is the pinnacle. no defending world club cup winner from a european club that didn't win the most recent ucl would want to travel all the way to participate in it. and even the defending ucl champs won't want to play a round of 8 considering the league and ucl football they have to participate in when they get back.

also take into account the english teams, if an english team wins the ucl, the fact they don't get a christmas break, and to play these additional games on the other side of the globe puts strains on the bodies of the players participating. it starts to become a gift and a curse

from an administrative standpoint, there's nothing that can be done to make it better. adding extra teams and doing away with the 'euro-centric/latin american-centric' ucl champ vs libertadores champ was meant to make it better, but it hasn't. the only way it grows is the growth of football, sponsors and appeal to players in the other participating continents:

ucl champions vs libertadores champion was good back in the old days because we had only heard of some of the guys beasting in south america, besides the world cup and some handful of games, you didn't get to see many of the south american greats on show, and this was an opportunity.

now the talent leaves the continent early, and even then, the asian, african, and latin american teams can't compete with their european counterparts especially the ucl champions in terms of depth, talent, or appeal...that's the only way it gets interesting.

It's one game more, I don't think it's too tasking.

If they want to make it a serious competitions, it requires more games.

Do the UCL champions really want it as serious competition? I bet they only go for it because of the shiny badge that will certainly increase shirt sales a bit more.

For me, the right way to go with the CWC isn't increasing it in size, it's decreasing it, discontinuing it. It's a pointless little competition.

Art Morte wrote:For me, the right way to go with the CWC isn't increasing it in size, it's decreasing it, discontinuing it. It's a pointless little competition.

Stop talking about stuff you know nothing about.

On topic, why does it have to be more interesting? Maybe it's ok just the way it is, as a little luxury tournament for the CL winner and of somewhat more importance for the winners of other continents.
Nothing wrong with it?

Hapless_Hans wrote:

Art Morte wrote:For me, the right way to go with the CWC isn't increasing it in size, it's decreasing it, discontinuing it. It's a pointless little competition.

Stop talking about stuff you know nothing about.

On topic, why does it have to be more interesting? Maybe it's ok just the way it is, as a little luxury tournament for the CL winner and of somewhat more importance for the winners of other continents.
Nothing wrong with it?

Then he would never post here


I agree on that point. The only other thing they could do is bring in a former winner. I've always enjoyed it. Every other continent takes it seriously. Barcelona took it seriously everytime under Pep. He knew its significance because he was in Mexico??? (iirc) for a while. Neymar and Messi didn't rush back to fitness for some scrub tournament. Look at how badly Nerman wanted to play. Basically, only English people don't care.

Well, it would continue to be so, but with another quality team which would increase quality teams in a 50%, number of games in a 50% and quality games in at least a 100%.

If you ask a defending CWC champion , in this context, Real Madrid if they would like to participate in the comp. , they would've most likely rejected it.As far as I see it, it's not a big matter for European teams as it is for teams from other continents.
For me this cup represents the lesser known teams from all across the globe who have a chance to take on the best so let's not ruin it by including another top European team (aka defending champion) all for the sake of an extra bit of viewership and money.
You have the Champions league for that.

S wrote:If you ask a defending CWC champion , in this context, Real Madrid if they would like to participate in the comp. , they would've most likely rejected it.As far as I see it, it's not a big matter for European teams as it is for teams from other continents.
For me this cup, represents the lesser known teams from all across the globe who have a chance to take on the best so let's not ruin it by including another top European team (aka defending champion) all for the sake of an extra bit of viewership and money.
You have the Champions league for that.

Off course they would go to get more money and the chance to keep the CWC.

Also, the team doesn't have to be european. It can be south american or whoever it wins it. Corinthians has two CWC, Internacional 1, etc... upsets happen and more would happen with 3 games instead of 2 for europeans.

besides the accolade of having won it, what else does the competition have to offer to big teams? there's a huge bonus for winning ucl (there's history and prestige too), a huge bonus and an opportunity to play in ucl upon winning your domestic league or making top 4 depending on coefficients; what will the cwc offer besides travelling and fatigue? when fans and pundits start arguing other continental football leagues the way they do about serie a vs la liga vs epl vs bundesliga, then it will become appealing. even major sponsorships can't save such a short term competition.

titosantill wrote:besides the accolade of having won it, what else does the competition have to offer to big teams?

 The shiny badge of course!

ah yes the badge lol

It's up there with the Community Shield in prestige.

free_cat wrote:

S wrote:If you ask a defending CWC champion , in this context, Real Madrid if they would like to participate in the comp. , they would've most likely rejected it.As far as I see it, it's not a big matter for European teams as it is for teams from other continents.
For me this cup, represents the lesser known teams from all across the globe who have a chance to take on the best so let's not ruin it by including another top European team (aka defending champion) all for the sake of an extra bit of viewership and money.
You have the Champions league for that.

Off course they would go to get more money and the chance to keep the CWC.

Also, the team doesn't have to be european. It can be south american or whoever it wins it. Corinthians has two CWC, Internacional 1, etc... upsets happen and more would happen with 3 games instead of 2 for europeans.

It has still largely been dominated by European teams.
Your idea is not all that wrong but still I don't know if many teams especially European teams would fancy travelling to Asia to play 3 extra games in the midst of a grueling schedule.
In that case, we would've to have the CWC at a different point than in December.

Art Morte wrote:It's up there with the Community Shield in prestige.

Yes thats why SOuth American players and all the Barcelona players wanted to play in it, thats why Messi and Nerman rushed back to fitness...

That's why Guardiola cried when he won it the 1st time....

So clueless

Just stick to making previews for the EPL games please. Embarrassing stuff.

rwo power wrote:

titosantill wrote:besides the accolade of having won it, what else does the competition have to offer to big teams?

 The shiny badge of course!

Whats wrong with that?
What's wrong with the CL winner competing in a little summit with the winners of other continents, to establish who's the best club in the world?
Even if doesn't attract millions of viewers or huge prestige? Or offer huge money?
It's just 2 games after all?

Nothing wrong at all. For CL winners, it's a nice run off after a successful year, as S said, for other continents it's the chance to play the best European club, everyone is happy.

Why do we always have the urge to tinker with stuff?
If you're not interested, don't watch it.
Obviously, mainly fans of participating teams are interested, but then no need for Liverpool fans to hate on a little innocent bonus tournament just because they'll never get there.

jibers wrote:

Art Morte wrote:It's up there with the Community Shield in prestige.

Yes thats why SOuth American players and all the Barcelona players wanted to play in it, thats why Messi and Nerman rushed back to fitness...

That's why Guardiola cried when he won it the 1st time....

So clueless

Just stick to making previews for the EPL games please. Embarrassing stuff.

Yeah, beating teams like Auckland City and Guangzhou Evergrande, such prestige, wow.

S wrote:

free_cat wrote:

S wrote:If you ask a defending CWC champion , in this context, Real Madrid if they would like to participate in the comp. , they would've most likely rejected it.As far as I see it, it's not a big matter for European teams as it is for teams from other continents.
For me this cup, represents the lesser known teams from all across the globe who have a chance to take on the best so let's not ruin it by including another top European team (aka defending champion) all for the sake of an extra bit of viewership and money.
You have the Champions league for that.

Off course they would go to get more money and the chance to keep the CWC.

Also, the team doesn't have to be european. It can be south american or whoever it wins it. Corinthians has two CWC, Internacional 1, etc... upsets happen and more would happen with 3 games instead of 2 for europeans.

It has still largely been dominated by European teams.
Your idea is not all that wrong but still I don't know if many teams especially European teams would fancy travelling to Asia to play 3 extra games in the midst of a grueling schedule.
In that case, we would've to have the CWC at a different point than in December.

It's just one game more than now....

titosantill wrote:besides the accolade of having won it, what else does the competition have to offer to big teams? there's a huge bonus for winning ucl (there's history and prestige too), a huge bonus and an opportunity to play in ucl upon winning your domestic league or making top 4 depending on coefficients; what will the cwc offer besides travelling and fatigue? when fans and pundits start arguing other continental football leagues the way they do about serie a vs la liga vs epl vs bundesliga, then it will become appealing. even major sponsorships can't save such a short term competition.

Per game played, I think CWC pays more money than CL.

free_cat wrote:

S wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Off course they would go to get more money and the chance to keep the CWC.

Also, the team doesn't have to be european. It can be south american or whoever it wins it. Corinthians has two CWC, Internacional 1, etc... upsets happen and more would happen with 3 games instead of 2 for europeans.

It has still largely been dominated by European teams.
Your idea is not all that wrong but still I don't know if many teams especially European teams would fancy travelling to Asia to play 3 extra games in the midst of a grueling schedule.
In that case, we would've to have the CWC at a different point than in December.

It's just one game more than now....

Which means a longer stay in Dubai , Japan or wherever it's being staged.In the middle of the season that is where they would also have to do some more catching up stuff to do in the league upon returning.

It also means less chance for a Guangzhou Evergrande or some Mexican team to go further and face the best team.Not always a Chinese team will get an opportunity to face Barça in a competitive fixture.

Why look from a European angle or from a viewership angle ? These lesser known teams also should be given more opportunities.
You sitting in Barcelona will have one perspective but millions sitting in China or Japan would be thinking differently.

Art Morte wrote:

jibers wrote:

Art Morte wrote:It's up there with the Community Shield in prestige.

Yes thats why SOuth American players and all the Barcelona players wanted to play in it, thats why Messi and Nerman rushed back to fitness...

That's why Guardiola cried when he won it the 1st time....

So clueless

Just stick to making previews for the EPL games please. Embarrassing stuff.

Yeah, beating teams like Auckland City and Guangzhou Evergrande, such prestige, wow.

This kind of arrogant Eurocentrist attitude wouldn't get you laid in a Cultural and Postcolonialist Studies department, I can tell you that.