Always felt the European Cup felt a lot more special, to qualify you had to achieve something which is very hard to do, win your own league. This meant that you didn't qualify for it all the time and that when you did it have that extra special something about it.

Nowadays getting 3rd/4th gets you in, so basically you don't have to win anything or even be anywhere near the winners of your league, makes a mockery of the competition to have this. I'd rather see cup winners go into it than 3rd/4th place, at least they've had to win something to qualify.

I don't see why you should be rewarded for losing to be honest.