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

[BadFish]

I don't think it IS a breakaway, I am saying it SHOULD be a breakaway.

I agree that these teams are expecting to have their cake (and ours) and eat it it too. And given the weakness and greed of those at the top, they will get what they want. For now.

[MENTION=1313]BadFish[/MENTION] if you haven't checked the link I put in my post, I can recommend it. I think it explains a lot - within and beyond football.

Having a read of it now. Thanks

 

[wellquickwoody]

Can't believe how many think this is a break away.

Its not, these teams will still play in the PL

That is their plan for the time being, yes. Longer term they almost certainly want to create a genuine Euro Super League sucking most of the money in all domestic markets to themselves via the broadcasters. It is a business plan, nothing more or less.

In the short term the EPL/FA may be scared of losing the top six, the clubs themselves may be wary to put all their eggs in one basket. Whilst it may be too much to hope that the clubs get given an ultimatum, the football authorities here should definitely make it plain that our domestic league programme will not be designed around the Euro traitors. Hopefully some of the also rans will then be able to prosper against the big six as they protect their big stars. This will allow us all to judge the health of the domestic game far better, and then be in a much stronger position to tell the bully boys to do one.

 

[dadams2k11]

Think you might be on your own here. I’d check your calendar and the room number as you appear to be at the wrong meeting.

Really? Have you read the link?

 

[Gwylan]

Which one are they going to be taking more seriously (especially with no champions league spots to fight for)?

Is the CL definitely going? What I've read about this is that this is a FIFA initiative and UEFA is not involved, and in fact are very much against it.

I've read that the big clubs want to play in the European Super League instead of the CL but I've not read anything about UEFA scrapping it.

And, as I said earlier, even if the CL were to be scrapped, there are clubs with a lot of money who may well be interested in setting up a rival competition. We've seen such splits in cricket, boxing, chess and darts, who's to say that it won't happen in football?

 

[stewart12]

Is the CL definitely going? What I've read about this is that this is a FIFA initiative and UEFA is not involved, and in fact are very much against it.

I've read that the big clubs want to play in the European Super League instead of the CL but I've not read anything about UEFA scrapping it.

And, as I said earlier, even if the CL were to be scrapped, there are clubs with a lot of money who may well be interested in setting up a rival competition. We've seen such splits in cricket, boxing, chess and darts, who's to say that it won't happen in football?

i'm sure there will be SOME sort of european competition but none of the teams in the European Super League will be going for it- so no incentive for them to put out strong teams in their domestic leagues. Even if you get to the final of the Champions League, it's only 13 games in total, this thing is looking like 36 so there's no way that it won't be their priority

in terms of a rival european competition, yep, could happen, but without any of the "big boys" who are busy tossing each other off, they might find it hard to attract major investment. Things like cricket are slightly different as the T20 leagues tend to have non clashing calenders to a certain extent so the big name players can hop from one to another. That COULD be the case in football but I can't see it

 

[Gwylan]

in terms of a rival european competition, yep, could happen, but without any of the "big boys" who are busy tossing each other off, they might find it hard to attract major investment. Things like cricket are slightly different as the T20 leagues tend to have non clashing calenders to a certain extent so the big name players can hop from one to another. That COULD be the case in football but I can't see it

I was thinking of Chinese/Russian money investing in it - there are plenty of Chinese/Russian owned teams in Europe who'd be interested. And there are going to be big teams left out of the ESL. At least one of the Big Six in England (possibly two), Rangers and Celtic. Some big teams in Spain and Italy who haven't made the cut.

And what if a Chinese-backed tournament put up even more money? They may be some teams in the proposed ESL who will switch allegiances.

As for cricket, I was thinking more of the schism caused by Packer than the T20 tournaments, although there are parallels with the latter, we could easily have games in different parts of the world. Given the money involved I can certainly see football going down that route too.

 

[Milano]

If the ESL happens then it will no longer be the ‘big 6’ it will be the ‘big 4’ max. 2 could get left out, if this is done purely on recent league and Euro positions then two from Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal and Spurs are in the poo. Clearly Man U will have a golden ticket and I could see Chelsea having one too.

 

[GOM]

look at the bigger picture. This thing is going to be 36 games (plus "play off games") on top of 38 premier league games. Which one are they going to be taking more seriously (especially with no champions league spots to fight for)? The European mega big boys league is going to be far more financially lucrative so that will be the priority

The domestic leagues will be little more than development opportunities for these clubs and the "big name players" won't give it the time of day.

it IS a break away. It's the clubs who perceive themselves to the the big clubs pulling up the drawbridge and telling everyone else to go **** themselves

And don't forget Premier league 25 man squad. They will need far more to compete in 2 leagues, so will there be a really really 'B' team, or will they spread the jam thin, or have 2 squads.

 

[Weststander]

Can't believe how many think this is a break away.

Its not, these teams will still play in the PL

This.

It's in addition to the EPL, simply replacing the CL.

Dog whistle headlines/stories have quite deliberately conflated this with the old mooted ideas of half a dozen English clubs leaving domestic football altogether for a Super League.

 

[dadams2k11]

This.

It's in addition to the EPL, simply replacing the CL.

Dog whistle headlines/stories have quite deliberately conflated this with the old mooted ideas of half a dozen English clubs leaving domestic football altogether for a Super League.

Thank you. You have read the article..

The two are getting crossed over..

 

[portslade seagull]

No wonder M Utd are pushing for this with the losses they are building up

 

[Weststander]

Thank you. You have read the article..

The two are getting crossed over..

Even Steve McLaren understood this, explaining it on R5 earlier in the week.

A replacement to the CL wouldn’t make dog whistle headlines. It’s football, it’s all hype, noise, clickbait.

 

[beorhthelm]

This.

It's in addition to the EPL, simply replacing the CL.

Dog whistle headlines/stories have quite deliberately conflated this with the old mooted ideas of half a dozen English clubs leaving domestic football altogether for a Super League.

dont think its conflating anything, its simple common sense you couldnt fit in a 36 game European league alongside 36-38 game domestic leagues.

 

[Weststander]

dont think its conflating anything, its simple common sense you couldnt fit in a 36 game European league alongside 36-38 game domestic leagues.

But it’s a leap from a concern to a fact based story about the 5 or 6 clubs leaving the EPL in 2024. It’s obviously a good discussion in a football obsessed country (well one third of it), but I wonder if like almost everything in modern football hyperbole has taken over. Even the arch exaggerators SSN underneath their still excitable headlines, are now calmly explaining how it might work with midweek fixtures.

The immediate frenzy including in this thread conflated this with the eternally discussed and dismissed idea of a European Super League. For 25 years all and sundry have claimed that one day ManU, Arsenal and a few others will soon enough leave domestic football - “it’s inevitable”, “good riddance” and “great, that gives the opportunity for another club to win honours”. In reality it never happened and likely never will.

 

[beorhthelm]

But it’s a leap from a concern to a fact based story about the 5 or 6 clubs leaving the EPL in 2024. It’s obviously a good discussion in a football obsessed country (well one third of it), but I wonder if like almost everything in modern football hyperbole has taken over. Even the arch exaggerators SSN underneath their still excitable headlines, are now calmly explaining how it might work with midweek fixtures.

who has treated it as fact? speculation, with further speculation how it could work. 75+ games with a few games in each cup. next month we'll have the annual moan about fixture pileup over Christmas.

is unlikely to happen, however reckon more likely to have a European break away, than this as a CL replacement and domestic league happening together.

 

[stewart12]

the big 6 will not be playing 36 games plus 38 premier league games

so while they may not "leave leave" they essentially will. It'll be second fiddle and low down on their priority list. They'll be treating it as nothing more than a development league and fairly quickly they'll be relegated from it

 

[Insel affe]

christ on unicycle, I have only just noticed how many games they are cramming in the coming weeks for the Champions League etc it's nearly every week, the teams playing in the competitions will really have to utilise their squads with rotation and I think they will suffer in the league because of it. Maybe after this year a few of the clubs will realise it's a non starter to compete in two leagues.

So back to square one, they should just go back to a knockout competition, and if they want to make it fairer the teams that actually won something not finishing 3rd join in the later rounds. Some of these league games are pointless especially in a pandemic.

 

[Postman Pat]

Five English clubs are among 11 European teams who have signed up to a breakaway Super League in an extraordinary development on the eve of Uefa’s announcement of a new Champions League format.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have signed up to the breakaway plan with only Manchester City among the Big Six yet to do so, sources with knowledge of the development have told*The Times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...y-league-in-challenge-to-uefa-plans-xks8jdxtm

 

[The Wizard]

Do one, and take VAR with you.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Do one, and take VAR with you.

I 100 percent agree

I’ll support AFC Wimbledon or someone else.