Seeding for Rosenborg
By Håvard Lindheim, 29 March 2004, 12:01
The change of rules decided by the UEFA last week is made retroactive, and the results of this will hence be clearly visible already this summer. Rosenborg passes many "leeches" in the rankings, and will most likely end up in the seeded group in 3rd qualifying rounds in coming autumn's Champion's League.
PARTY TIME: Greatly increased chances of new Champion's League party at Lerkendal when fall comes.
Photo: Thomas Myren
It was during the UEFA Excecutive Committee meeting in Dublin that the european football big shots decided that merely 33 per cent of the National Coefficient should be added to the clubs' own coefficient, and not 50 per cent as of today.
However different instances, like rbkweb.com, claimed to know that this change of rules would not be made retroactive. So, they claimed, these rules would partially be valid from the 2005/06 season, and the changes would take full effect as late as the 2008/09 season.
Luckily, this proved to be wrong.
Rules made retroactive
Rosenborg director Nils Skutle has now received confirmation from the UEFA that the changes in the rules are made retroactive. As a result, the coefficients from the past five years, which the ranking is based upon, must be recalculated.
"The system is changed and will take effect from the 2004/05 season. From this time the National Coefficient counts only 33 per cent, and not 50 per cent as in earlier years", Skutle confirms to rbkweb.com
Rosenborg, Club Brugge and Glasgow Rangers are among the teams that gains the most on this change. The trio all climbs around ten spots on the UEFA Team Ranking, and passes clubs like Kaiserslautern, Udinese and PAOK, who up until now has "leeched" on their countries' teams who have done vell in the European cups. RBK climbs from a 56th to a nice 45th place.
Champion's League bonus Nils Skutle also reveals another change of rules, which has not been known up until now: The UEFA will from autumn on give a bigger reward to the Champion's League participants . Today, a club is given one extra point for qualifying, while following the new rules will give the club three points.
And more, it is decided that 1/8-finalists in the Champion's League shall receive a bonus of one point. From before, participation in the quarter-, semi- and finals in both Champion's League and the UEFA Cup gives one extra point per final.
More factors Still, it isn't first and foremost these changes of rules that more or less ensures Rosenborg a seeded spot in the 3rd Qualifying Rounds in August. On the other hand, it is a "fall of giants" in several European leagues that takes RBK up among the 16 seeded clubs.
Viewing the different league standings right now, the "Lerkendalers" will most likely be ranked 15th. To fall down to a 17th spot or worse, at least two out of the following three must occur:
Galatasaray takes at least silver in Turkey. The team from Istanbul holds currently a 6th spot, 16 points from Besiktas at 2nd.
Slavia and Sparta will occupy the two highest spots in the Chzec league. Ostrava leads that league, with Slavia Praha 3 points back in 2nd, and Sparta 7 points back in 4th place. Sigma Olomouc occupies the 3rd spot.
Porto takes the silver in Portugal. Currently they are cruising for the gold - leading the series 7 points ahead of Sporting Lisboa, with one match less played.
In other words: The chances of seeding for RBK are really present!
Rules made retroactive
Galatasaray takes at least silver in Turkey.
