1991-92 European Cup - and beyond.

What if the European Cup had not been turned into the Champions League, and had maintained its old format - that of a knockout tournament between the winners of their respective national tournaments - to the present day? Well, stop wondering, because here is a vision of what could've happened. Our tale begins midway through the OTL 1991-92 European Cup: no group stages are formed, and the knockout bouts continue.

1991-92 European Cup

Quarterfinals

Anderlecht 0 - 0 Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos 0 - 2 Anderlecht (a.e.t.) (OTL result: 0 - 0)

Anderlecht wins 2 - 0 on aggregate; I based the ATL result on the teams' point difference in the OTL group.

Sampdoria 2 - 0 Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade 1 - 3 Sampdoria

Sampdoria wins 2 - 0 on aggregate.

Dynamo Kyiv 1 - 0 Benfica
Benfica 5 - 0 Dynamo Kyiv

Benfica wins 6 - 0 on aggregate.

Barcelona 3 - 2 Sparta Prague
Sparta Prague 1 - 0 Barcelona

Sparta Prague wins on away goals.

So far, the results are all OTL, except the matches took place in the group stages.

Semifinals

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Anderlecht 3 - 2
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Sampdoria
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Sampdoria 2 - 0
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Anderlecht

Sampdoria wins 4 - 3 on aggregate.

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Benfica 1 - 1
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Sparta Prague
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Sparta Prague 2 - 1
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Benfica (a.e.t.)

Sparta Prague wins 3 - 2 on aggregate; I based the ATL result on the teams' point difference in the OTL group.

Final

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Sampdoria 2 - 0
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Sparta Prague

Sampdoria is the ATL champion of the European Cup; I based the ATL result on the teams' point difference in their respective OTL groups.

Sampdoria_Vice_Campe___Champions_League_91_92_925325032.jpg

 
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And here's the last update for today, the 1992-93 European Cup. Results are OTL unless noted, but instead of the group stage there is a knockout round instead, as before.

1992-93 European Cup

Quarterfinals

Rangers 2 - 2 Marseille
Marseille 1 - 1 Rangers

Marseille wins on away goals.

Club Brugge 1 - 0 CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow 1 - 2 Club Brugge

Club Brugge wins 3 - 1 on aggregate.

Milan 4 - 0 IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg 0 - 1 Milan

Milan wins 5 - 0 on aggregate.

Porto 2 - 2 PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven 0 - 1 Porto

Porto wins 3 - 2 on aggregate.

Semifinals

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Marseille 3 - 0
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Club Brugge
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Club Brugge 0 - 1
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Marseille

Marseille wins 4 - 0 on aggregate.

23px-Flag_of_Portugal.svg.png
Porto 0 - 1
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Milan
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Milan 1 - 0
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Porto

Milan wins 2 - 0 on aggregate.

Final

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Marseille 1 - 0
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Milan

Marseille is the ATL champion of the European Cup; by sheer coincidence, both teams made it to the final just as in OTL.

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1993-94 European Cup

All as OTL until the group stage, replaced by a knockout round:

Quarterfinals

Monaco 4 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow 0 - 0 Monaco

Monaco wins 4 - 1 on aggregate.

Galatasaray 0 - 0 Barcelona
Barcelona 3 - 0 Galatasaray

Barcelona wins 3 - 0 on aggregate.

Anderlecht 0 - 0 Milan
Milan 1 - 0 Anderlecht (a.e.t.)

Milan wins 1 - 0 on aggregate; since they finished first in the OTL group, it felt fitting to give them the win.

Porto 3 - 2 Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen 0 - 5 Porto

Porto wins 8 - 2 on aggregate.

Semifinals

23px-Flag_of_Spain.svg.png
Barcelona 2 - 0
23px-Flag_of_France.svg.png
Monaco
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Monaco 0 - 1
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Barcelona

Barcelona wins 3 - 0 on aggregate.

23px-Flag_of_Italy.svg.png
Milan 3 - 0
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Porto
23px-Flag_of_Portugal.svg.png
Porto 0 - 0
23px-Flag_of_Italy.svg.png
Milan

Milan wins 3 - 0 on aggregate.

Final

23px-Flag_of_Italy.svg.png
Milan 4 - 0
23px-Flag_of_Spain.svg.png
Barcelona

Milan is the ATL champion of the European Cup; again, both teams made it to the final just as in OTL.

The butterflies might start piling up by the next post, since that edition of the CL saw four group stages instead of two.

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1994-95 European Cup

Qualifying round as OTL, but then...

Round of 16

Barcelona 2 - 1 Galatasaray
Galatasaray 3 - 1 Barcelona (a.e.t.)

Galatasaray wins 4 - 3 on aggregate; results before extra time are as OTL.

IFK Göteborg 3 - 1 Manchester United
Manchester United 4 - 2 IFK Göteborg

IFK Göteborg wins on away goals.

Bayern Munich 1 - 0 Dynamo Kyiv
Dynamo Kyiv 1 - 4 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich wins 5 - 1 on aggregate.

Paris Saint Germain 4 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow 1 - 2 Paris Saint Germain

Paris Saint Germain wins 6 - 2 on aggregate.

Anderlecht 1 - 1 Benfica
Benfica 3 - 1 Anderlecht

Benfica wins 4 - 2 on aggregate.

Hajduk Split 1 - 4 Steaua Bucarest
Steaua Bucarest 0 - 1 Hajduk Split

Steaua Bucarest wins 4 - 2 on aggregate.

AEK Athens 1 - 2 Ajax
Ajax 2 - 0 AEK Athens

Ajax wins 4 - 1 on aggregate.

Casino Salzburg 0 - 1 Milan
Milan 3 - 0 Casino Salzburg

Milan wins 4 - 0 on aggregate.

Quarterfinals

IFK Göteborg 1 - 0 Galatasaray
Galatasaray 0 - 1 IFK Göteborg

IFK Göteborg wins 2 - 0 on aggregate.

Bayern Munich 0 - 1 Paris Saint Germain
Paris Saint Germain 2 - 0 Bayern Munich

Paris Saint Germain wins 3 - 0 on aggregate.

Benfica 2 - 1 Steaua Bucarest
Steaua Bucarest 1 - 1 Benfica

Benfica wins 3 - 2 on aggregate.

Ajax 2 - 0 Milan
Milan 0 - 2 Ajax

Ajax wins 4 - 0 on aggregate.

Semifinals

Ajax 0 - 0 Paris Saint Germain
Paris Saint Germain 0 - 5 Ajax

Ajax wins 5 - 0 on aggregate.

Benfica 2 - 2 IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg 1 - 0 Benfica

IFK Göteborg wins 3 - 2 on aggregate.

Final

Ajax 3 - 0 IFK Göteborg

Ajax is the ATL champion of the European Cup.


 
I assume we are talking about the European Cup being open to national champions and the current holders only. Some thoughts:

  • What impact does the lack of Champions League coin have on the formation of the Premier League and on other European leagues?
  • What about player wages?
  • What about the movement of ideas and tactics and coaches?
  • What about transfers?
  • What about the availability we as fans have to information on players from all over the world?
  • What happens to media coverage of football?
  • Does this mean the whole sports rights explosion fails to happen?
  • WHAT HAPPENS TO CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! (Breathe. Breathe.)

I assume the relative success of English clubs in the European Cup from about 1999 onward fails to happen?

Interesting! Very interesting!


PS I LONG for the days when the mighty Real Madrid could be turfed out of the European Cup in the first round, away from home, on a foggy night, via a bent referee and a dodgy penalty at the Comrade Lenin Workers Memorial Stadium by CSKA Kraplaicstan with the goal scored by their great hero Sergi/Demetri ( insert unknown and unpronounceable eastern european name here).

Commentary, of course, down the phone line courtesy of David Coleman
 
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I assume we are talking about the European Cup being open to national champions and the current holders only. Some thoughts:

  • What impact does the lack of Champions League coin have on the formation of the Premier League and on other European leagues?
  • What about player wages?
  • What about the movement of ideas and tactics and coaches?
  • What about transfers?
  • What about the availability we as fans have to information on players from all over the world?
  • What happens to media coverage of football?
  • Does this mean the whole sports rights explosion fails to happen?
  • WHAT HAPPENS TO CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! (Breathe. Breathe.)

I assume the relative success of English clubs in the European Cup from about 1999 onward fails to happen?

Interesting! Very interesting!


PS I LONG for the days when the mighty Real Madrid could be turfed out of the European Cup in the first round, away from home, on a foggy night, via a bent referee and a dodgy penalty at the Comrade Lenin Workers Memorial Stadium by CSKA Kraplaicstan with the goal scored by their great hero Sergi/Demetri ( insert unknown and unpronounceable eastern european name here).

Commentary, of course, down the phone line courtesy of David Coleman

I just wanted to see what would've happened if the straight knockout format had remained, rather than a planned TL this is an experiment - most of the results are OTL ones or mirror OTL ones, but there have been quite a few upsets nonetheless: not even I did expect Goteborg to go as far as it did while still using OTL results, for example. The gap between small teams and big teams and small leagues and big leagues will be smaller in this ATL, for sure - since the available spots in the cup are equal for every country.
 
I just wanted to see what would've happened if the straight knockout format had remained, rather than a planned TL this is an experiment - most of the results are OTL ones or mirror OTL ones, but there have been quite a few upsets nonetheless: not even I did expect Goteborg to go as far as it did while still using OTL results, for example. The gap between small teams and big teams and small leagues and big leagues will be smaller in this ATL, for sure - since the available spots in the cup are equal for every country.

ok - i expect you will get more victories for the dominant Italian team of the moment ( AC Milan/Juventus) and more victories for the likes of Ajax or Benfica and perhaps even an Eastern European dark horse. I expect less for the likes of Madrid or Barcelona and many fewer from Britain

The problem is i am not sure you can just play things out. The financial changes brought about by the removal of the champions league format AND the TV rights deals will mean that teams like Ajax or Benfica will be able to hold onto more of their players for longer. It will also dilute the power of clubs like Madrid or Chelsea to purchase players and the nuse continued success to buy more.
 
The net result of this would be that football would continue to be a working class sport that can be enjoyed by all, and that any team with a good manager and good youth set up has a reasonable chance of winning a trophy, rather than the current system whereby only the richest ever get a reasonable chance.
 
The net result of this would be that football would continue to be a working class sport that can be enjoyed by all, and that any team with a good manager and good youth set up has a reasonable chance of winning a trophy, rather than the current system whereby only the richest ever get a reasonable chance.

will it also mean that the Rudi Voller inspired bubble perm mullet continues?
 
The problem is i am not sure you can just play things out. The financial changes brought about by the removal of the champions league format AND the TV rights deals will mean that teams like Ajax or Benfica will be able to hold onto more of their players for longer. It will also dilute the power of clubs like Madrid or Chelsea to purchase players and the nuse continued success to buy more.

Maybe we could work together on a full TL based on this premise, then?

The net result of this would be that football would continue to be a working class sport that can be enjoyed by all, and that any team with a good manager and good youth set up has a reasonable chance of winning a trophy, rather than the current system whereby only the richest ever get a reasonable chance.

Probably, yes, but the Bosman ruling was another nail in the coffin for that kind of football, too - when you're a small country and all your talent is purchased by neighbouring, bigger countries, you're fucked. Belgium and the Netherlands were hit hard by foreign poaching, but the same could be said about other countries: plenty of players from the Balkans end up playing in Italy, for example.

will it also mean that the Rudi Voller inspired bubble perm mullet continues?

Sadly, yes. :p
 
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