Seven reasons the Europa League is actually better than the Champions League
With the second tier of European football set to hit our screens for another season, SunSport reveals why it's much more fun
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IT'S Thursday and you know what that means... The Europa League is back.
Yes, I am excited about it - and so should you be, it's arguably the greatest competition in football.
OK, so perhaps we're getting a tad ahead of ourselves, but in reality, the Europa League is a massively exciting prospect.
Long gone are the days of reserve teams and youth teams getting a run out... There's a spot in the Champions League at stake, after all.
These days we get to see some of the biggest teams and brightest stars in world football take to the Thursday turf.
Just in case you're not convinced just yet, SunSport run down seven reasons the Europa League is better than the Champions League...
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IT'S ALL ABOUT THURSDAYS
RIGHT, let's kick this off with the important stuff... Getting the beers in.
These days, particularly in the Big Smoke, Thursday is the new Friday, so picture this...
Clock of work at 5pm, straight to the pub to meet up with your mates, get a few beers in, watch the 6pm game, then straight into the 8.05pm game... Then hit the town.
Can you do that on a Tuesday or Wednesday? Maybe. But not so guilt free...
WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS
WHERE'S you preferred football trip destination? Cardiff or Stockholm?
That's right, the Champions League final will take place in Cardiff's National Stadium, while the Europa League will be in the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
And we all know there are some particularly lovely fans in Scandinavia, don't we...
Time to switch your allegiance to the Thursday tournament, chaps.
FEE, FI, FO, FUM...
...HERE come the giants.
Take a look at some of the sides in the Europa League this term; it's like a who's who of European greats.
Manchester United, Inter Milan, Sevilla, Villarreal, Ajax, Schalke... They'll all be on our screens on Thursday nights.
Meanwhile the Champions League contains teams such as Ludogorets and FC Rostov.
Long live the Europa League, I say...
FEAR SEVILLA
WHAT is the toughest challenge in football? That's a tricky question.
Surviving 38 games to win the Premier League? Going a season unbeaten? Winning the treble.
Please, don't make me laugh.
The real impossible task is beating Sevilla in the Europa League final.
The La Liga giants have won it three years in a row - including toppling Liverpool last season - and five times in the past decade.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
GARETH BALE, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar may be in the Champions League this term, but hey, the most expensive player on the planet is playing in the Europa League.
Paul Pogba's £109million deal to leave Juventus and link up with Manchester United broke the record set by Welshman Bale - after Jose Mourinho and Co splashed £89m on the French midfielder, with a further £20m going to agent Mino Raiola.
So you can watch the stars on Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing the best is yet to come... On Thursday.
EGO CENTRAL
SPEAKING of a certain Mr Mourinho, just take a look at some of the massive talent - and equally large egos - on display in Thursday's top tournament.
Mourinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic... I would sack off the Champions League just to watch that duo go to work on the pitch - and in the press conferences after, too.
As well as the egos, don't forget about some of the other huge name stars on display in the Europa League.
Mauro Icardi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Max Meyer, Samir Nasri, Alexandre Pato... Err, Dirk Kuyt.
DOUBLE YER MONEY
SO, Champions League nights you settle down for 7.45pm and enjoy a bit of channel-hopping between all of the big games.
Sounds fun, right? Wrong.
On Thursdays, the Europa League is kind enough to give us a 6pm kick-off and an 8.05pm one.
That means double the matches, double the action, double the fun.
Enough said.