New UEFA Cup Format?

Will FM2009 have the new UEFA Cup format that starts in 2009 (see bellow) incorporated in the game. For example, this season would run with the current format, but the game would change the format starting next in-game season... would add alot more realism, and provide more years of play...

Thx

""New-look competition

From 2009, the first round becomes part of the qualifying phase, and the group phase will consist of 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four. The top two in each group will qualify for the knockout phase and will be joined by the eight teams that finish the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in third place in their sections. The knockout phase, with 32 teams and four rounds, will lead to the final, played in a single match at a neutral venue. "We will also be having a centralised marketing concept for the group stage of the UEFA Cup, which should provide a stronger presence in the market and more revenue, which we all feel is very important," said Mr Taylor. "We will be working to enhance the competition's appeal over the coming years.""

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

Rule of thumb: if a format change is announced with enough notice the changes will be either in the release or introduced via a later patch.

Yeh I would think that this was announced early enough to have made it. Would be very suprised if it was not incorporated

Thx for the reply folks. I would appreciate a more institutional reply also from someone from SI...

Why you ask only about UEFA Cup and not about the Champions League that will also changes in 2009??

Really hope that they have implemented these in FM2009..

Why you ask only about UEFA Cup and not about the Champions League that will also changes in 2009??

Really hope that they have implemented these in FM2009..

Really? I didnt know about that.... what kind of changes? you have a source?

And yes, they def should incorporate those also!!

Really? I didnt know about that.... what kind of changes? you have a source?

And yes, they def should incorporate those also!!

LUZERN, Switzerland (AFP) - A reform of the European Champions League for the period 2009/12 was agreed by the UEFA executive committee on Friday night.

The idea of UEFA president Michel Platini to include Cup winners in a preliminary competition was thrown out but his plans to help the smaller nations make their mark on the event were kept.

"I'm happy we were able to come to this decision," Platini said. "It's a good compromise and means we will welcome six new nation champions into the event."

Platini's plans to have the Cup winners of the top 16 European nations playing in a preliminary competition for a total of four Champions League places was not agreed on.

Instead there will be a two-round preliminary phase compromising 15 clubs fighting for five group berths.

Platini said the new plans would mean countries such as Romania or Albania would be able to benefit from money from Champions League television rights meaning they could hang on to their best players.

"Certain people have said allowing smaller nations in would weaken the competition," Platini added. "Perhaps that will be so in the early years but after that the difference will be less and less.

32 teams will take part, but the qualification structure is new:

1 Defending champion

9 Teams from England/Spain/Italy (3 each)

6 Teams from France/Germany/Russia (2 each)

6 Champions from Romania/Portugal/Netherlands/Scotland/Turkey/Ukraine

5 Winners from champions qualifying

5 Winners from non-champions qualifying

Champions qualifying:

Preliminary round (6 teams):

6 Champions from Faroe Islands/Luxembourg/Malta/Andorra/Montenegro/San Marino

First qualifying round (34 teams):

3 Winners preliminary round

31 Champions from all countries not mentioned before, except: Belgium/Czech Republic/Greece

Second qualifying round (20 teams):

17 Winners First qualifying round

3 Champions from Belgium/Czech Republic/Greece

Third qualifying round (10 teams):

10 Winners Second qualifying round

Non-champions qualifying:

No preliminary or first qualifying round

Second qualifying round:

1 #3 from Russia

9 #2 from Romania/Portugal/Netherlands/Scotland/Turkey/Ukraine/Belgium/Czech Republic/Greece

Third qualifying round:

5 winners Second qualifying round

2 #3 from France/Germany

3 #4 from England/Spain/Italy

Not only the losers of the Third, but also the losers of the Second qualifying round will drop into the UEFA-cup (losers QR2 start in UEFA QR4, losers QR3 start in UEFA group stage). As a result of this, all teams in QR3 will be sure of 6 more games after that round, either in CL or in UEFA-cup.

Source: www.footballforums.net

Good stuff!

OK, I really dont care about Che discussion and whatever Cover SI decides to use, as long as the Game has these two very important Cup format issues incorporated!!

Interesting to see that Russia is seeded higher as a league than Portugal, Scotland and the Netherlands!

is it me or the new changes will turn the game upside down

it seems to me that they changed the two major european club trophy's olympic style ..... i mean if you loose the chance for a medal you can still fight for places

it's very complicated to me

Hello MILES?! or moderators! Any official position on this matter allready?? Would really like to know, since draws are done for this year, and I am planning next year also allready! lol

Finally want to add that the new CL format decision was taken on 2007-11-30..So there was a lot of time for SI to apply it in FM2009...

i think if it's not added it will be patched as the new 7 sub rule in the premier league happened

or because these changes affect premier league teams to they might put encode it right away

Well I hope that will be from the beginning or even patched....I don't want to wait for FM2010 to play with the new rules...

Well I hope that will be from the beginning or even patched....I don't want to wait for FM2010 to play with the new rules...

nah don't worry if it's not there from the beginning it will definetly be patched there would be to much pressure on them from these forums not to include such a change in the new game especially when i'ts called fm 09 and these changes affect the footballing europe from 09

Well, i definetly hope that the changes are there from the very beginning! And ideally no patches will ever be needed! lmaol

After all, until the game is fully released there is still time...

i am sure that it will be incorporated as was the rule for 7 substitutes in the EPL as from this season.

that was put in FM08 starting the second season in a career.

What rock have I been living under causing me to not be aware of these changes? :S

It does sound interesting at any rate, I hope it's gonna be in the game.

I think these changes sound pretty good. And, if you read them slowly and carefully (excellent post, by the way, Alekos ), they actually seem quite simple. There's a straightforward logic to it.

What rock have I been living under causing me to not be aware of these changes? :S

It does sound interesting at any rate, I hope it's gonna be in the game.

I think I must have been under the rock next to you because these changes to both competitions is news to me. I'm 99.9% certain these changes will be in the game on release and will not need a patch since the game is called Football Manager 2009.

Yeah, cause ive noticed that CFR Cluj are in the group stage, along with Famagusta and some other small teams that I cant remember.

Yeah, cause ive noticed that CFR Cluj are in the group stage, along with Famagusta and some other small teams that I cant remember.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how that's relevant. The format hasn't changed yet. Those teams qualified the same way as teams have been qualifying for the past few years.

Yeah, cause ive noticed that CFR Cluj are in the group stage, along with Famagusta and some other small teams that I cant remember.

That has nothing to do with the new format that will apply from 2009/2010 season..

Cluj automatically entered the group stage because Romania is in 7th place in UEFA coefficients and Anorthosis started from 1st Qualifying Round all the way to the group stage..

As Mike said the format is still the same for this year

Mike n Alekos are right. To make it clear, the issue here is to know if the new game will change along with the real changes. I.e. this year is as it always was, but next season the changes will be implemented in real life, but also in the game (still being FM2009). Basically, the software will change the Format of European Competitions after 1 season of play... or not. Hopefully it will.... (still waiting for an official reply on this)

I can't think of any changes to competition structures or rules changes that haven't been implemented in each season's version of the game, so I wouldn't worry yourself about getting an 'official' reply.

Actually, given that SI don't have rights to the official UEFA competitions, it's feasible that they can't specifically say that the 'Euro Cup' i the game will necessarily follow any changes to the UEFA cup.

I can't think of any changes to competition structures or rules changes that haven't been implemented in each season's version of the game, so I wouldn't worry yourself about getting an 'official' reply.

Actually, given that SI don't have rights to the official UEFA competitions, it's feasible that they can't specifically say that the 'Euro Cup' i the game will necessarily follow any changes to the UEFA cup.

Maybe they don't have the rigths as you say but till now all those years the format of all European competitions in previous FM's are totally correct..So this wouldn't be a problem

I would guess it probably will be in the game. I did one "unemployed" FM2008 game where I was picked up by a lower-league German team, and after the first season the whole lower league system was reorganised (I'm guessing this had been announced over a year in advance like the CL/UEFA stuff)