[Football] Liverpool and Manchester United lead ‘European League’ breakout league idea

[blue-shifted]

How bad an idea is this whole thing for football, when it’s got 90% of football fans rooting for EUFA and FIFA?
Surely that must tell the ESL teams that it just isn’t popular.

Glazer, Henry etc know it isn't popular.

They just don't care

 

[Swansman]

The money might be reduced at the start, so players would get paid a bit less. So what? I expect the money would build back up again, as the leagues would be competitive (domestic and European).

And even if the money would never build up to the same levels again, I would still be able to sleep at night.

 

[albionalex]

Those big 6 would be replaced by others, who would start winning the titles. There would still be a champions league, with big clubs from around Europe competing to win the top title and I'd pay to see it.

The money might be reduced at the start, so players would get paid a bit less. So what? I expect the money would build back up again, as the leagues would be competitive (domestic and European).

Remember that these big 6 clubs haven't always been the big 6. Man City weren't even in the top division not long ago, and Chelsea were nothing until Roman came along. And Spurs - well I guess they never won anything anyway, so nothing would change for them. There are still plenty of well supported clubs in this country, and removing 6 would allow others to grow too.

If it were to happen, and they had to leave the PL, I'd ignore them and continue going to watch Brighton. If, however, they started this new league and were allowed to remain in the PL, I'd stop watching football altogether.

You might but TV money is comprised of a lot of overseas deals that have no interest in Brighton vs Burnley.

 

[Springal]

PL call a meeting tomorrow with the remaining 14 clubs to work out how to respond to this. The 'big 6' are not included. Nice

 

[Gwylan]

I suspect that they'll be thinking about suing Uefa. Just one of the countless law suits that this will spark.

I'm not sure they'd have the grounds to sue UEFA. I'm sure there's nothing in the contract that they have to have certain teams in the competition every year. As long as UEFA runs the CL and Europa every season, how have they broken a contract?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Will their dev squads be kicked out of PL2 as well ?

 

[blue-shifted]

Probably. But that revenue is a relatively new thing, and we had football long before we had billion-pound TV deals.

It's interesting to wonder what things might look like 10 years into a closed-shop super league. Those big clubs are only big (aka rich) at the moment. They certainly haven't all been like that throughout their history. And they certainly haven't all been anywhere near successful at actually winning things. If they spend the next ten years only playing against each other, and not part of any other competition, no relegation or other prize to go for. Never playing any other team, not playing their any of their other rivals, just the same games again and again. I don't think that will be that attractive. Surely some of the excitement of getting into Europe is playing those other giants occasionally. That just isn't a big deal when you play them four times a season.

There will be a situation where the best players won't be always be playing in the ESL, because they won't want to jeopardise playing for their country. Obviously money will talk for many, but many others won't want to do it.

If a big chunk of money drops out of the domestic and European competitions, then transfer fees and wages go down. There can be no other alternative. So the competition might get more balanced, which will be a good thing. If they allow clubs to trade players with the ESL, then I can see a lucrative business in rinsing the shit out of the 'big twats' for the next big talent from the domestic leagues.

We really need rules like they have in Germany, to protect our clubs. It's absolutely shameful what has happened to so many of our clubs over the decades.

Agree with everything you say

Especially your last point about what has happened to the ownership of clubs. The big 6 no longer represent their fanbase, just as Bill Archer didn't represent our fanbase

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Fans United mk2

 

[drew]

I just dont see the longevity in what is ideally wanted by those behind the Super League. If they want the big teams involved to play in their new competition and ideally only their competition, and also there is little room for relegation or for new teams to be involved then that essentially means they want a Champions league style format that is just repeated each year. Even the fans of those clubs will switch off after a few years.

Are you aware of how long the closed shop NFL has been going?

 

[jimhigham]

[tweet]1384119612753682441[/tweet]

As one of the replies notes, they stop short of saying they won't get involved in bidding/airing the ESL.

That statement would seem to be the very definition of "mealy mouthed". It's a shame I don't have a subscription to cancel.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Are you aware of how long the closed shop NFL has been going?

Those teams have the support of their cities and populations behind them though.

This won't be the case with some of these teams should this go ahead.

 

[Triggaaar]

You might but TV money is comprised of a lot of overseas deals that have no interest in Brighton vs Burnley.

I said I'd pay to see the CL, and that wouldn't have Burnley and Brighton in it (not for now at least). It would have big clubs from around Europe, and some from England. Just not the few that had left. And people overseas would also be interested in watching them, because it would be the best of each country against each other. Those that left would no longer be the best. They would make money (which is their aim) with no requirement to pay the best players to win anything.

Exactly what level of player would want to join Spurs, knowing that they're just going to get stuffed week in week out?

And would the best players from around the world really want to join a club, knowing that they repeatedly only ever play 14 other clubs. And 14 of the clubs get to win nothing at the end of it? Nah.

Tell them they have to leave their domestic leagues if they want to do it, and see how long they last.

 

[Washie]

Are you aware of how long the closed shop NFL has been going?

It's actually starting to decline in popularity. A lot of American football fans do like the idea of promotion and relegation as there are a lot of college football fans and amateur football fans.

 

[Stato]

By the way, let's not accept their name 'European Super League?!' Neither of last year's ECL finalists are in it!

No, not European, not super.

How about 'Los Anglo-Italian Cup'?

 

[SeagullinExile]

Brutal press conference from Ceferin! Looking into booting them out of the CL and the EL, plus banning players from the Euros. Wow.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

 

[Swansman]

Brutal press conference from Ceferin! Looking into booting them out of the CL and the EL, plus banning players from the Euros. Wow.

He is generally brilliant. Would have been a different situation with Platini in charge.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Still waiting on a current player/manager from one of the 12 clubs...won't hold my breath.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, the only manager of one of England's 'big six' joining the ESL to speak so far, said he "trusts the club to make the right decisions".

"I've know since yesterday but I am here to be in the hardest competition, it's why I came here to play the toughest competitions," he said.

"I am part of this club and I trust this club to make the right decisions. I think it's too early to judge everything and it's not my part. On my badge it says that everyone has to play their role. My role is to coach, be focused, and we've another game tomorrow."

 

[Stato]

I'm not sure they'd have the grounds to sue UEFA. I'm sure there's nothing in the contract that they have to have certain teams in the competition every year. As long as UEFA runs the CL and Europa every season, how have they broken a contract?

If BT's lawyers haven't got a clause in there that financially protects them from UEFA facing this kind of utterly predictable land grab, then BT should be sacking their CEO or suing their lawyers for malpractice.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Doesn't seem to have been any comment yet by any of the American broadcasters which will be a big market if it goes ahead. NBC currently has the rights to the Premier League. I personally think it should go to ESPN as they are owned by Disney, and the whole thing is a bit of a Mickey Mouse idea