Quote Originally Posted by Psychotic View Post
But their chances aren't being lessened. For example, Spartak Moscow, from Russia (a country that has never produced a winner of the European Cup or Champions League) would not normally have been given qualification because they finished second in the Russian league, got through to the group stages, something which they would not have been able to do under the old system.
And so they should not have since they didn't win the Russian league hence should not be entering a competition specified for champions. But by allowing such teams to enter the tournament you are restricting the amount of places available to other teams who did win domestic titles thus lessening their chances

Using the World Cup analogy, though, it's like giving Europe and Oceania equal qualifying spots.
The number of countries (with national football teams) from Europe certainly outnumbers those from Oceania which makes reasonable sense as to why they are allocated the amount of spaces they have. Barring Australia much of these teams from Oceania would probably get thumped by most European squads especially given the fact that most of them aren't professional footballers anyway. The Champions League however, is a much different story. Don't forget teams from eastern Europe are fully capable of defying the 'stereotypical' status automatically given to them by upsetting the odds and handing able teams defeats they would not normally have seen coming.

In all honesty the way Arsenal have been playing is certainly not the form of champions but given the current system they still will probably finish comfortably in one of England's bountiful qualifying spots and come the time of qualification handed a club (who thoroughly deserve entrance into the main draw) that has had a more tiresome journey to the very same stage