Sunday, April 28, 2019

How Rare is Ajax's March to the Champion League Semi Finals?

What Ajax is doing in this years UEFA Champions League is special and I don't know if it will be duplicated in the near future. It's been 14 years since a team like Ajax made a run to the prestigious Final four of the best club soccer competition in the world.

The year was 2005 when Ajax's bitter rival PSV made the Semi Finals before bowing out to Milan. Since than, the gap between the Top 4 countries in Europe has gotten big. What will it take for the other 50 UEFA members to open their wallets to spend the money Liverpool and Barcelona? I'm looking at you Celtic, APOEL and Red Star Belgrad. 

We just need four small teams to emerge as strong teams that can challenge the big boys. The Round of 16 is still within reach if those teams get favourable group stage draws. Beşiktaş won their group just last year.

Rumor has it that that their creating a third UEFA Tournament for the smaller nations but I haven't haven't heard any more info on it.

When they gave Spain, England, Germany and Italy four spots in the group stage I knew things were heading south from the parody point of view. A team from a country outside the Top 7 hasn't had a chance against a team from a country in the Top 4 in a long time. My heart hurts to even type that.

We need this to change. I hope it does but I wouldn't bet on it. The group stage used to be special but now it is almost predicable. 

The six team group stage leaves no margin for error and if they scrape by they likely play one of the favorites to win it in the round of 16. This year was different. Real Madrid laid an egg in the round of 16 which opened the door for Ajax.

I hope the door is open for other teams to make a run. It's a money game now and some leagues don't have the money.



Clubs (# of participations)92–9393–9494–9595–9696–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–19
Spain SPAIN (87)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(3)(3)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(3)(4)(4)(4)(3)(4)(4)(4)(4)(5)(4)(4)(4)
1Barcelona (23)FQFGSGSSFGSSFQFR16CR16SFCSFCSFSFQFCQFQFQF
2Real Madrid (23)QFCQFCSFCSFQFR16R16R16R16R16R16SFSFSFCSFCCCR16
3Valencia (11)FFQFGSQFGSR16GSR16GSGS
4Atlético Madrid (9)QFR16GSFQFFSFGSR16
5Deportivo La Coruña (5)QFQFGS2SFGS
6Sevilla (5)R16R16GSR16QF
7Villarreal (3)SFQFGS
8Athletic Bilbao (2)GSGS
9Real Sociedad (2)R16GS
10Mallorca (1)GS
11Celta Vigo (1)R16
12Real Betis (1)GS
13Málaga (1)QF
England ENGLAND (84)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(3)(3)(3)(4)(3)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(4)(5)(4)
1Manchester United (22)GSSFQFCQFQFSFQFR16R16GSSFCFQFFGSR16QFGSR16QF
2Arsenal (19)GSGSQFGS2GS2QFR16FR16QFSFQFR16R16R16R16R16R16R16
3Chelsea (15)QFSFSFR16SFFSFR16QFCGSSFR16R16R16
4Liverpool (11)QFGSCR16FSFQFGSGSF
5Manchester City(8)GSGSR16R16SFR16QFQF
6Tottenham Hotspur (4)QFGSR16
7Newcastle United(2)GSGS2
8Blackburn Rovers(1)GS
9Leeds United (1)SF
10Leicester City (1)QF
Germany GERMANY (74)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(3)(2)(4)(3)(4)(3)(2)(3)(3)(3)(3)(2)(3)(3)(3)(3)(4)(4)(4)(4)(3)(4)
1Bayern Munich(22)SFQFFSFCQFGSR16QFR16QFQFFR16FCSFSFSFQFSFR16
2Borussia Dortmund (13)QFCSFGSGSGS2GSFQFR16QFGSR16
3Bayer Leverkusen(11)QFGSGSFGS2R16R16R16R16GSR16
4Schalke 04 (8)GSGSQFSFR16R16R16R16
5Werder Bremen(7)GSR16R16GSGSGSGS
6Stuttgart (3)R16GSR16
7Hamburg (2)GSGS
8Wolfsburg (2)GSQF
9Borussia Mönchengladbach(2)GSGS
10Kaiserslautern (1)QF
11Hertha BSC (1)GS2
12RB Leipzig (1)GS
131899 Hoffenheim(1)GS
Clubs (# of participations)92–9393–9494–9595–9696–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–19
Italy ITALY (74)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(2)(3)(3)(3)(4)(4)(4)(4)(3)(4)(4)(4)(3)(3)(2)(3)(2)(2)(2)(3)(4)
1Juventus (19)CFFSFGSGS2FR16QFQFR16GSQFGSFR16FQFQF
2Milan (17)FCFGSGSGS2CQFFSFCR16R16R16QFR16R16
3Inter Milan (12)QFSFGSQFQFR16R16R16CQFR16GS
4Roma (11)GS2GS2GSQFQFR16R16GSR16SFR16
5Lazio (5)QFGS2GSGSGS
6Napoli (5)R16GSR16GSGS
7Fiorentina (3)GS2GSR16
8Parma (1)GS
9Udinese (1)GS
France FRANCE (61)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(2)(3)(3)(3)(3)(3)(2)(3)(2)(3)(3)(3)(3)(3)(2)(2)(2)(3)(2)(3)
1Lyon (15)GS2GSGSQFQFQFR16R16R16SFR16R16GSGSR16
2Paris Saint-Germain (11)SFGSGS2GSQFQFQFQFR16R16R16
3Marseille (9)CGS2GSGSGSGSR16QFGS
4Monaco[1] (9)SFSFGSFR16QFSFGSGS
5Lille (5)GSGSR16GSGS
6Bordeaux (4)GS2GSGSQF
7Auxerre (3)QFGSGS
8Nantes (2)SFGS2
9Lens (2)GSGS
10Montpellier (1)GS
Portugal PORTUGAL (49)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(2)(1)(2)(0)(1)(1)(2)(3)(3)(2)(1)(2)(2)(3)(2)(3)(2)(3)(3)(2)
1Porto (23)GSSFGSQFGSGSQFGS2CR16GSR16R16QFR16GSR16GSQFGSR16R16QF
2Benfica (14)QFGSQFGSGSGSQFGSGSGSQFR16GSGS
3Sporting CP (8)GSGSGSGSR16GSGSGS
4Boavista (2)GSGS2
5Braga (2)GSGS
Netherlands NETHERLANDS(39)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(3)(2)(2)(3)(2)(2)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)
1PSV Eindhoven(16)GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSSFR16QFGSGSR16GSGS
2Ajax (14)CFSFGSQFGSGSR16GSGSGSGSGS
3Feyenoord (5)GSGS2GSGSGS
4Willem II (1)GS
5Heerenveen (1)GS
6AZ (1)GS
7Twente (1)GS
Russia RUSSIA (37)(1)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(1)(1)(0)(2)(1)(1)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)(2)
1CSKA Moscow(12)GSGSGSGSQFR16GSGSGSGSGSGS
2Spartak Moscow(12)GSGSQFGSGSGS2GSGSGSGSGSGS
3Zenit Saint Petersburg (6)GSR16GSR16GSR16
4Lokomotiv Moscow (4)GSGS2R16GS
5Rubin Kazan (2)GSGS
6Rostov (1)GS
Clubs (# of participations)92–9393–9494–9595–9696–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–19
Greece GREECE (32)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(2)(1)(2)(2)(2)(3)(2)(2)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)
1Olympiacos (18)GSQFGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSR16R16GSGSR16GSGSGS
2Panathinaikos (9)SFGSGS2QFGSGSGSR16GS
3AEK Athens (5)GSGSGSGSGS
Turkey TURKEY (30)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(2)(1)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)
1Galatasaray (15)GSGSGSGSGSQFGS2GSGSGSQFR16GSGSGS
2Beşiktaş (7)GSGSGSGSGSGSR16
3Fenerbahçe (6)GSGSGSGSQFGS
4Bursaspor (1)GS
5Trabzonspor (1)GS
Ukraine UKRAINE (29)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(2)(0)(2)(2)(2)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)
1Dynamo Kyiv (16)GSQFSFGS2GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSR16GS
2Shakhtar Donetsk(13)GSGSGSGSGSQFGSR16GSR16GSR16GS
Belgium BELGIUM (23)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)
1Anderlecht (12)GSGSGS2GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSR16
2Club Brugge (6)GSGSGSGSGSGS
3Genk (2)GSGS
4Lierse (1)GS
5Standard Liège(1)GS
6Gent (1)R16
Scotland SCOTLAND (20)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(2)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)
1Rangers (10)GSGSGSGSGSGSR16GSGSGS
2Celtic (10)GSGSGSR16R16GSR16GSGSGS
Switzerland SWITZERLAND(13)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)
1Basel (8)GS2GSGSR16GSR16GSR16
2Grasshopper (2)GSGS
3Thun (1)GS
4Zürich (1)GS
5Young Boys (1)GS
Romania ROMANIA (12)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1FCSB (7)GSGSGSGSGSGSGS
2CFR Cluj (3)GSGSGS
3Unirea Urziceni(1)GS
4Oțelul Galați (1)GS
Norway NORWAY (12)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1Rosenborg (11)GSQFGSGSGS2GSGSGSGSGSGS
2Molde (1)GS
Czech Republic CZECH REPUBLIC (11)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
1Sparta Prague (7)GSGS2GSGS2R16GSGS
2Viktoria Plzeň (3)GSGSGS
3Slavia Prague (1)GS
Sweden SWEDEN (8)(1)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)
1IFK Göteborg (4)GSQFGSGS
2Malmö (2)GSGS
3AIK (1)GS
4Helsingborg (1)GS
Clubs (# of participations)92–9393–9494–9595–9696–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–19
Denmark DENMARK (8)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)
1Copenhagen (4)GSR16GSGS
2Aalborg (2)GSGS
3Brøndby (1)GS
4Nordsjælland (1)GS
Austria AUSTRIA (7)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(1)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1Sturm Graz (3)GSGSGS2
2Rapid Wien (2)GSGS
3Salzburg (1)GS
4Austria Wien (1)GS
Croatia CROATIA (7)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)
1Dinamo Zagreb(6)GSGSGSGSGSGS
2Hajduk Split (1)QF
Israel ISRAEL (5)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)
1Maccabi Haifa (2)GSGS
2Maccabi Tel Aviv(2)GSGS
3Hapoel Tel Aviv(1)GS
Cyprus CYPRUS (5)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)
1APOEL (4)GSQFGSGS
2Anorthosis (1)GS
Belarus BELARUS (5)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)
1BATE Borisov (5)GSGSGSGSGS
Slovakia SLOVAKIA (3)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1Košice (1)GS
2Petržalka (1)GS
3Žilina (1)GS
Poland POLAND (3)(0)(0)(0)(1)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)
1Legia Warsaw (2)QFGS
2Widzew Łódź (1)GS
Bulgaria BULGARIA (3)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)(0)
1Ludogorets Razgrad (2)GSGS
2Levski Sofia (1)GS
Serbia SERBIA (3)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)
1Partizan (2)GSGS
2Red Star Belgrade (1)GS
Slovenia SLOVENIA (3)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(1)(0)
1Maribor (3)GSGSGS
Hungary HUNGARY (2)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1Ferencváros (1)GS
2Debrecen (1)GS
Finland FINLAND (1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)
1HJK (1)GS
Kazakhstan KAZAKHSTAN(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(0)(0)
1Astana (1)GS
Azerbaijan AZERBAIJAN(1)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(1)(0)(1)(0)
1Qarabağ (1)GS
Clubs (# of participations)92–9393–9494–9595–9696–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–0606–0707–0808–0909–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–19