Why? (Inter-Toto Cup)

Member Name: JRW

Product:	Inter-Toto Cup
Date:	21/07/00 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Backdoor into Europe

Disadvantages: Strains a team, loses pre-season

Why? That is all that can be said about the Intertoto Cup. Why does any club in the financially rewarding Premier Division risk their team's chances by competing in this virtually worthless competition?

The Intertoto Cup is like a long tunnel with light somewhere at the end of it (still looking..). Yes, there are benefits in competing but only if this is in addition to succeeding. By looking at West Ham in last season's Intertoto Cup both the advantages and disadvantages of this competition can be realised.

West Ham did very well in the actual Intertoto Cup and dispatched a couple of poor and mediocre sides which enabled them to reach the UEFA Cup. This is all very good, but you have to ask yourself whether West Ham had the ability to really go places in the UEFA Cup. Hindsight also agreed with me. The very fact that West Ham failed to qualify directly for the UEFA Cup indicates, perhaps illustrating my poor judgement, that they weren't good enough to compete in the UEFA Cup.

Recently I have heard Harry Redknapp stating that his team's participation in the Intertoto Cup had harmed his squad's chances in the Premiership - especially during the Christmas period.

When the Intertoto Cup takes places, teams should be in pre-season training, homeing their skills so that they can peak when the time comes. Now you can say that the Intertoto Cup is a good substitute for pre-season training and friendlies but I would say that the majority of Premier League managers, judging by their general disregard for the competition, would agree with me.

It seems as though teams that enter the Intertoto Cup want the best of both worlds: League success and European glory. Unfortunately, it just ain't gonna happen.

Summary: