Europe - is it just me...?
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I was chatting to a pal about qualifying for European football and what it means to Scottish clubs (outside of the OF).
In years gone by, it was glamourous and was a well-earned reward. It mattered and it gave people a genuine buzz. Anderlecht, Videoton, AEK Athens...loved Hibs having a wee European adventure.
Now though, I'm not so sure. Is the idea of having "qualified for Europe" really that big a pull for either fans or potential signing targets? Would a player choose us over someone else (assuming it's similar wages on offer) simply because we're in Europe?
I'm not sure what it is (though I suspect it's to do with the over-exposure of football and the watering-down of European competition), but I'm not entirely certain that being "in Europe" counts for as much. Financially, if teams are in the group stages, that's perhaps a different ball game.
Or is it just me?
In years gone by, it was glamourous and was a well-earned reward. It mattered and it gave people a genuine buzz. Anderlecht, Videoton, AEK Athens...loved Hibs having a wee European adventure.
Now though, I'm not so sure. Is the idea of having "qualified for Europe" really that big a pull for either fans or potential signing targets? Would a player choose us over someone else (assuming it's similar wages on offer) simply because we're in Europe?
I'm not sure what it is (though I suspect it's to do with the over-exposure of football and the watering-down of European competition), but I'm not entirely certain that being "in Europe" counts for as much. Financially, if teams are in the group stages, that's perhaps a different ball game.
Or is it just me?