عني
The incessant drive for a top four place has, in some eyes, devalued the FA Cup competition. Arsenal’s perennial qualification has seen them play 11 successive seasons in the Champions League since they last qualified as champions. Do Arsenal fans really accept top four as success? Would Spurs players rather have winners medals in the FA Cup and League Cup over appearances in the Champions League? Before there was a true European-wide competition, there were regional competitions for national teams. English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish national teams competed annually in the British Home Championship since the tournament’s inception in 1883. Six editions of the Central European International Cup played out over the same duration 1927-1960. Several national teams participated, including those from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Yugoslavia.