Quote from: Slow death on Today at 10:26:27 PM

Quote from: boltz on August 25, 2025, 07:02:54 PM

I don't think it will be an Italian team who wins this year but if they do I hope Lazio will be the one as it's been to much since this lovely team won an important trophy right ? I also have high hopes for them in Serie A too but after being defeated by Como I can't expect much from them this season.

I personally want a big surprise as a winner this year and I wouldn't mind to see a team from Eastern Europe because it's been decades since a team made a big performance in any European competition.

The Europa League has brought many surprises, such as its winners not being teams that finish in first place in their domestic leagues. It's funny that they can't even finish in third place in their domestic leagues. I don't know why it's been happening that teams that aren't doing well in their leagues win the Europa League. Just look at the last champion: Tottenham.

who weren't even in the top four of the Premier League, played in the final against Manchester United, who also weren't even in the top four of the Premier League. It seems that one of the requirements for a team to become Europa League champion is that they play very poorly in the domestic league and are in the worst positions in the domestic league.

The point is that Europa League is a lower arm of champions League and played by the lower league table occupiers too. However, you should understand that some leagues are tougher than others. A 10th place Epl club could possibly defeat a 3rd placed Turkish league club or any of the lower leagues. Experience matters alot and during the knockout stages, most of the lower leagues get knocked out by these teams leaving only the giants for the finals. That Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United is in the 17th place in Epl does not make it a very small club out there. Epl is very competitive and almost tougher than champions League.