UEFA to reform the Inter Toto Cup

**thejollyrodger** · 20/09/2005, 6:48 PM

UEFA to change Intertoto
20/09/2005 - 19:05:03

UEFA are set to reform their Intertoto Cup competition to give more clubs a chance to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Under the current system, the three clubs who progress furthest in the Intertoto Cup go into the UEFA Cup’s final qualifying round.

UEFA’s executive committee will tomorrow meet in Rome and consider a proposal to allow the 11 best-performing sides into the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, and for a maximum of one club per country to enter the Intertoto Cup.

The change would give more chance to clubs from smaller countries to make into the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Cup.

Meanwhile, England and Scotland are among the first five countries to have grass-roots football programmes officially endorsed by UEFA.

Pilot projects from England, Scotland, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands have been ratified by UEFA’s executive committee.

The programmes are aimed at ensuring sufficient junior coaches, training programmes for children of all ages and promoting fair play and anti-racism.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson said: “Grassroots football provides the foundation of our game. If the grassroots are not cultivated, football at all levels will suffer, and it is UEFA’s desire to help the associations develop thriving grassroots programmes.”

http://breaking.tcm.ie/2005/09/20/story221734.html

**Poor Student** · 21/09/2005, 10:03 AM

From aertel:

UEFA TO REFORM INTER-TOTO CUP
UEFA are set to reform the Intertoto
Cup to give more clubs a chance to
qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Under the current system, the three
clubs who progress furthest in the
Intertoto Cup go into the UEFA Cup's
final qualifying round.

UEFA will consider a proposal to allow
the 11 best-performing sides into the
second qualifying round of the UEFA
Cup, and for a maximum of one club per
country to enter the Intertoto Cup.

The change would give more of a chance
to clubs from smaller countries to make
it into the UEFA Cup.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Well we know it's here to stay then. Good news for the eL.

**pete** · 21/09/2005, 11:56 AM

With advantage of summer football the Inter Toto will be a lot more attractive to eL sides now. Instead of having to win 5 ties probably 3 ties at most now...?

**pete** · 21/09/2005, 12:12 PM

Merged.

**thejollyrodger** · 21/09/2005, 12:33 PM

Well I think its a bit of good news. But i havent a clue as to how many rounds a team must play in the inter to to to get into the second round the the UEFA Cup .. i havent a clue about the inter to to in fact.

Can anyone shed some light on this (previously meainingless) competition ?

**Poor Student** · 21/09/2005, 12:37 PM

I'm going to say there's roughly 50 UEFA nations. Divide that in half you get 25 and again you get 12.5, so I'd say there will be 3 rounds to whittle it down to 11? Maybe one preliminary round to get us to 44 teams then two rounds?

Or perhaps 11 small groups with the winner going through?

**pete** · 21/09/2005, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I'm going to say there's roughly 50 UEFA nations. Divide that in half you get 25 and again you get 12.5, so I'd say there will be 3 rounds to whittle it down to 11? Maybe one preliminary round to get us to 44 teams then two rounds?

I'd say it will be staggered like the way it is currently.

Maybe top 11 nations will just come in for last round? Currently is 5 rounds & with only 1 team per country this & more "finals" it would seem this will have to mean less rounds. Uefa Cup will probably have to be expanded to cater for more teams too?

Either way summer football a hiuge advantage for eL Inter Toto teams.

Any truth in rumour that this is UEFA trying to find a way to get Shels into the Uefa Cup next season?

**pineapple stu** · 21/09/2005, 12:44 PM

There are 52 nations in UEFA. However, many of the bigger countries - plus Scotland - don't enter a team in the InterToto, which would complicate things more. Two rounds (or three including a preliminary round of the weakest nations) would make it "winnable" from an Irish point of view, as last year showed. It'd also mean every team would have to be in round one, which could throw up some high profile draws from the start.

Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

Can anyone shed some light on this (previously meainingless) competition?

Previously meaningless? I assume the change occurred when it was evident you were going to be qualifying for it?

**manic da hoop** · 21/09/2005, 4:18 PM

Didn't they announce about a year ago or so that they were scrapping it altogether?

**pineapple stu** · 21/09/2005, 7:03 PM

Never saw anything official about that. Looks like it was rumour. To be honest, if teams are still willing to play in it - and they are, even if the bigger teams aren't - there's no reason to scrap it. It's like the old CWC - usually some of the lesser teams from the respective leagues (even us!

) which makes it interesting.

**thejollyrodger** · 21/09/2005, 8:11 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Previously meaningless? I assume the change occurred when it was evident you were going to be qualifying for it?

it changed when there was something meaningful at the end of it , the fact that Shels have more or less grabbed that prize makes it all the more intresting