Thankfully it seems that most people have come around to appreciating the Europa League as it is.
And what it is is a European competition consisting of all the teams not quite good enough to compete for honours in the Champions League and they play together in this competition instead. It's that simple.
But maybe football and the Europa League in particular has become so competitive that it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the glaring differences between UEFA's two premier tournaments. For God's sake, Borussia Dortmund are running riot around the Europa League.
https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/710565260814585856
As the competition reaches the quarter final stage though, it's becoming raging hot. So much so that its latecomers from the Champions League can't even cope.
Six out of the eight teams that entered the Europa League from the Champions League group stage have been eliminated already.
After a round of 32 and a round of 16.
Manchester United: eliminated by Liverpool in the round of 16.
Bayer Leverkusen: eliminated by Villarreal in the round of 16.
Valencia: eliminated by Athletic Bilbao in the round of 16.
Galatasaray: eliminated by Lazio in the round of 32.
FC Porto: eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the round of 32.
Olympiacos: eliminated by Anderlecht in the round of 32.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Still in it.
Sevilla: Still in it.
And they call it a consolation prize. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
