Tuesday the 18thwill see the return of the UEFA Champions League in which Chelsea will defend their title against the elite of Europe. However, recently I was listening to a podcast by the Guardian newspapercalled Football Weekly in which one of the commentatorsstarted to discu s the groupthat Real Madrid. Man City, Ajax and Boru sia Dortmund had been drawn in together. He then made a point, which perplexed me, in which he stated that it was too early for big clubs to play each other at this stage. And that has got me thinking, is that not the point of the Champions League?In the early 1950s Wolverhampton Wanderers won a series of friendlies which led to the English pre s crowning them as Champions of the World. This lead the editor of LEquipe, Gabriel Hanot to eventually convince UEFA to put into practice a tournament which would properly determine the best of the best. The concept was conceived in Ryan Anderson Jersey Paris in1955and became known as the European Champions Clubs Cup, better known as the European Cup. Finally in 1992 it was re-named as the UEFA Champions League.As a result of the decision to create this tournament, we have seen thrills, spills and great moments that will never be forgotten. The competition has seen Europes elite players show the fine art that is the Beautiful Game. Players such Di Stefano(Real Madrid), the Busby Babes, George Best(Man Utd), Kenny Daglish and Graeme Soune s(Liverpool) and more recent Lionel Me si(Barcelona). We have seen great teams that at the heart of many football debates such as Real Madrid in the 50s, Liverpool in the 70s, Bayern Munich, Ac Milan, Barcelona and Manchester United become idols of world football because of the creation of this great competition.However in recent times the competition has lost its way. The system of seeding teams as created a lull in the game where the so called big teams avoid each otherplaying weaker teams and qualifying with relative ease. Chris Silva Jersey Last season, with the Tyler Herro Jersey exception of Man Utd, most of Europes elite clubs qualified with ease. Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid(who won all 6 group games). So whats the point of watching teams go through the motions to qualify, watching routine games in which big clubs win with comfort and not create those magic moments we have seen in the past? Watch any group game match with a big club and you wont be in the least bit surprised by the result. Shock results and knockouts are few and far between in the group stage. And the simple fact of the matter is..its boring. So what can be done. Well its simple. Open draw. Lets take a look at the games that will happen in the so called group of death. Real Madrid will host Man City in the first game and already its a mouth watering clash. Now the pointcan made that at this stage a poor result for either side wont decide their fate in the competition but both side will definitely want a win and both sides are capable of wining. But Shaquille O'Neal Jersey more important is that fact that both sides will want to prove a point that they are the best and so the game no longer becomes just about the three points and more about the egos of the big name players. This makes it promising for a good game. Now lets look at the other side of the coin. Man Utd will host Galatasaray at Old Trafford and lets be honest, ask any honest pundit and the majority will say a simple home win. This fixture isnta mouth watering clash and many wont rush home to to their TVs so as to not mi s a kick.An open draw would certainly spice things up even before a ball is kicked. Even before the draw in Monaco every year most teamshave alist of po sibilities of who the can face an who they will avoid on hoping for an easier path to the final. To be fair most teams would want the easiest path tho the final so they can win it and thats to be expected. But the initial prospect of the the big guns meeting from the off is something Glen Rice Jersey to be excited about. Now this is no disrespect to any of the weaker teams in the competition because lets not forget that these teams in there in right are champions themselves. Many do forget this fact including bigger clubs. Go 2-0 up against these sides and take your foot of the gas and you can and will be punished. Why? Well its simple. Winning in any country is the same. If you knowhow to do it and win a league you can do it in any match.Now Im sure UEFA have some immediate concerns about bigger clubs making complaints simply because they dont want hard games. Well the answer to that is simple. Hard Luck. If you want to be the best, beat the best.And Im sure they have sponsors and TV stations who will want the bigger teams in the latter stage to boost ratings and so on and i can see the point. But lets look at it a different way. Imagine the scenario in which two bigger clubs play in every matchday and quarter final, semi final and final stages surly the ratings have the potential to go through the roof. Then UEFA turn to there sponsors and say the same thing in which there advertisings will be seen po sibly by a wider audience including those neutrals who just want the prospect of the best players playing Kendrick Nunn Jersey great football.Taking all this into account, the simple truth remains, its a win/win situation. UEFA run a great competition like it was meant to be when it started all those years ago, TV men and sponsors are happy because as corporate men they want to be seen and the fans at home will be happy because they will have something real to look forward to on a cold wet wintry Tuesday or Wednesday night. Too early you say, piff let champions play champions i say.