Sod off LEICESTER, we don't want your sort in the Champions League...

[Easy 10]

So now that Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, City and Liverpool are getting a bit put out about not being good enough to qualifiy for the Champions League in the traditional way by, y'know, winning enough games, they've all had a little meeting with American tycoon and Miami Dolphins owner Charlie Stillitano about having a "restructure" of the competition (ie carve-up) so they don't have to bother with all this irksome qualifying malarkey any more.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...says-man-who-set-up-clubs-secret-meeting.html

Stillitano said: “What would Manchester United argue ?: Did we create soccer or did Leicester create (it)? Let’s call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester? It’s a wonderful, wonderful story. But you could see it from Manchester United’s point of view too.”

“Maybe that is absolutely spectacular unless you are a Manchester United fan, Liverpool fan ... or a Chelsea fan,” Stillitano said. “I guess they don’t have a birthright to be in it every year. But it’s the age-old argument: US sports franchises versus what they have in Europe. There are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful elements to relegation and promotion. And there are good arguments for a closed system.”

“This is going to sound arrogant, and it’s the furthest thing from it, but suddenly when you see the teams we have this summer in the ICC you are going to shake your head and say, ‘Isn’t that the Champions League?’” Stillitano said. “No, the Champions League is PSV and Ghent.”

Wow. So Manchester United "created" soccer. That was news to me. And of COURSE that last sentence doesn't sound arrogant at all. So with the PL clubs about to receive the biggest cash windfall in their history with the monster new £8.3bn TV deal from next season, its still not enough. The big boys want their Champions League guaranteed every year.

Footballs great these days isn't it.

 

[Hillian1]

WOW.

Now I'm no fan of The Champions League, or for that matter The Premiere League, but that really has pissed me off.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

The arrogance is astounding.

 

[Albumen]

They don't like it up em.

 

[Megazone]

Yes I agree. Man U invented soccer.

That's why football fans hate them.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I've put my mild affection for Arsenal on hold.

 

[Curious Orange]

Do you know why the Champions League is boring - it's because there are too many teams that aren't Champions in it.

 

[wellquickwoody]

What absolute boxxocks. Just a further extension of what happened to our domestic football when the Prem was invented. Well fxxk 'em, let 'em go, let them play European regional football that will wash over real football fans without effect, let the new modern football fan have their sanitised version of the beautiful game. Meanwhile we can go back to blood and thunder football with sliding tackles, passion, players who respect the fans rather than just milk them, the FA Cup, giantkilling etc etc.

#fxxkthebig5

 

[theboybilly]

The USA will destroy football as we know and love it

 

[Black Rod]

Do you know why the Champions League is boring - it's because there are too many teams that aren't Champions in it.

Whereas it would be more exciting if it was ONLY the champions of every country in Europe, guaranteeing the last four in basically every season being the club from Spain, Germany, Italy and France on current form

 

[MattBackHome]

Let them **** off out of it - sooner the better. They can have their Hyperbowl MegaLeague closed shop.

Suddenly all European leagues will become a damn sight more competitive, and real football starts to return to the people.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

I've put my mild affection for Arsenal on hold.

Once a Gooner always a Gooner LI. I'm currently wearing Arsenal W-fronts, a Man Utd t-shirt and drinking a cup of Necscafe Azzero Americano coffee out of a Chelsea mug.

 

[MattBackHome]

Imagine a Premier League without Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea.

It would be wonderful.

 

[The Albion Roar]

I've put my mild affection for Arsenal on hold.

According to the Grauniad, Arsenal are the only one of the big five who've actually made a statement 'not endorsing' this idea. Don't know what the statement was in full, mind.

 

[Gazwag]

Yes I agree. Man U invented soccer.

Man Utd were born on 15 August 1992 the very same day soccer was invented. Although it was a difficult birth as one of the other 21 teams they invited to make up the first season, Sheff Utd, beat them 2-1 in the first match.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

The USA will destroy football as we know and love it

As long as they take Palace into oblivion I don't care, we can form our own league with what's left - us, Bury, Cefn Druids, MK Dons and Greenock Morton - what a league it'll be and never again having to worry about Celtic, Rangers, Man City or Camarthen Town FC winning the league year in year out.

 

[El Presidente]

Whereas it would be more exciting if it was ONLY the champions of every country in Europe, guaranteeing the last four in basically every season being the club from Spain, Germany, Italy and France on current form

You are assuming they don't draw each other in the earlier rounds though.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

I've put my mild affection for Arsenal on hold.

I'm fairly certain that Arsenal are the only one to say that they're not backing the idea of a closed league. As I find them by far the least objectionable of the 'big' clubs I'm glad they did.

Other than that the sheer arrogance of this is astounding. If the whole point is to reward clubs such as United for popularising (monetising) football should there not be some sort of recognition to those clubs who were there at the very start as well?

Presumably Notts County, trailblazers of professional football, will be getting an invite as well? I admit that's a silly example but it's just the same logic used by the moron in the story taken to an extreme.

 

[The Albion Roar]

“This is going to sound arrogant, and it’s the furthest thing from it, but ..."

It's a bit like "I'm not racist but..."

The arrogance is astounding.

Arrogance, ignorance. A textbook masterclass in alienating English football fans.

The very least the PL could do with those clubs in kick them out.That being so, attendances will be diddly squat. Liverpool will need the Everton fixture in their calendar. Chelsea the same with Spurs. Ditto all big rivalries across Europe.

It's a cultural felching which fans won't buy into. It will crash and burn overnight.

The bloke's a total cockspangle.

 

[dingodan]

If they don't like having to compete tough, it's a competition.

It's quite obvious this conversation would never happen if they were winning.

This is the definition of unsporting behavior.

United, Arsenal, Chelea, Liverpool and City should all be fined and docked points just for having that meeting.