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Offline Flex

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European Super League Thread
« on: April 18, 2021, 05:32:28 PM »
Man United, Liverpool among clubs in $6 billion European Super League talks - sources
By Mark Ogden
Senior Writer, ESPN FC


Fifteen of Europe's biggest clubs are in talks to launch a European Super League, planned to start in time for the 2023-24 season, with a $6 billion (£4.3 billion) fund backing the project, sources have told ESPN.

If the initiative is successful, it would threaten the existence of the Champions League -- football's biggest club competition -- with UEFA due to announce on Monday a new 36-team format for the tournament designed to stave off attempts by the game's top clubs to break away.

As reported by UK newspaper The Times, English top-flight clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among 11 European teams to have signed up to the Super League plan.

ESPN has been told by a person familiar with the blueprint that the proposed framework involves a total of 20 teams, with 15 permanent members who cannot be relegated.

A further five teams will be rotated in and out of the competition, based on performance, but the permanent members will include six Premier League clubs, three from La Liga, three from Italy's Serie A, two from the Bundesliga and one from France's Ligue 1.

Sources have told ESPN that New York-based investment bank JP Morgan will underwrite the project, with $6 billion distributed as loans to the teams.

Under pressure from the European Club Association, UEFA has drawn up plans to reshape the Champions League format, with the new-look competition due to be unveiled Monday, ahead of UEFA's executive committee summit in Switzerland this week.

UEFA criticised the plans in a statement and said: "UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.

"If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we - UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations - will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.

"We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.

"As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.

"We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this. We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."

Planned to come into force in 2024, the remodelled Champions League would involve 36 teams playing 10 group games rather than six. The biggest clubs would also receive an increased share of prize money.

Sources told ESPN that UEFA plan to press ahead with their announcement Monday, and that any breakaway league remains a distant prospect, with national associations UEFA and FIFA both needing to sanction the proposal.

Meanwhile, the European Clubs' Association issued a statement in which it reiterated commitment to working with UEFA on competition reform, adding that a "closed super league model ... would be strongly opposed."

Serie A called an emergency board meeting on Sunday to discuss a newspaper report saying broadcaster DAZN is involved in new plans for the breakaway league, a source told Reuters.

The meeting was called by league president Paolo Dal Pino, and Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported that DAZN, which is owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, has been working on the formation of the league for some time.

The report claims the meeting is being attended remotely, with the three Serie A clubs who could potentially be part of the new project: Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

FIFA has earlier said that players who feature in any breakaway European Super League would be banned from playing in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

It caps a tumultuous week for Serie A after seven clubs submitted a written request for Dal Pino to resign over issues that include his management of plans to sell a stake in the league's media business.

The plans to expand the Champions League are also likely to meet opposition from supporters; ESPN reported last week that fans' groups have already registered their anger over UEFA's proposed changes.

On Sunday, a statement from the Premier League condemned the breakaway plans.

It read: "The Premier League condemns any proposal that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid.

Fans of any club in England and across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top and play against the best. We believe that the concept of a European Super League would destroy this dream.

"The Premier League is proud to run a competitive and compelling football competition that has made it the most widely watched league in the world. Our success has enabled us to make an unrivalled financial contribution to the domestic football pyramid.

"A European Super League will undermine the appeal of the whole game, and have a deeply damaging impact on the immediate and future prospects of the Premier League and its member clubs, and all those in football who rely on our funding and solidarity to prosper.

"We will work with fans, The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA, as well as other stakeholders, at home and abroad, to defend the integrity and future prospects of English football in the best interests of the game."

RELATED NEWS

UEFA and leagues vow to fight breakaway European Super League: What this means
By Gabriele Marcotti
Senior Writer, ESPN FC


On Sunday, the European game was rocked by revelations that a number of leading clubs -- anywhere from 12 to 15 -- had either signed an agreement or expressed interest in joining a breakaway league that would effectively be a direct competitor for the UEFA Champions League. Among them are Manchester United, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus and Barcelona.

It's not the first time such rumours have emerged, but the timing is what makes this situation different.

On Monday, UEFA are expected to approve changes to the Champions League that will include an expanded format, more games and tweaks to the revenue distribution. These changes were agreed only on Friday after protracted negotiations with Europe's leading clubs and the European Club Association (ECA). (They also voted to approve it, sources told ESPN.) All of this would now be overshadowed -- and rendered potentially meaningless -- if Europe's biggest clubs renege on that agreement and are really ready to walk out as early as 2022, as some have reported.

The implications, though, go far beyond this. UEFA isn't merely a competition organizer; it's a confederation whose job is to redistribute revenue and develop the game across the continent. The Champions League is its biggest cash cow, and a severely weakened competition would have a serious impact on the sport throughout Europe, which is part of the reason one UEFA executive told ESPN they were prepared to "fight until the end."

Q: Haven't we been here before? Didn't you write back in October about how we were ripe for this sort of change?

A: I did, but it appeared that the genie went back in the bottle during the ECA's negotiations with UEFA over the expanded Champions League. The ECA wanted more teams and more games (to generate more revenue); they also wanted more governance and oversight over how the Champions League is run commercially, and they wanted changes to the revenue distribution. It took a long time -- originally, UEFA were hoping to announce this reformatting last month -- and it was a tough negotiation, but at the eleventh hour late on Friday, the ECA hammered out a deal with UEFA. So you can imagine that when UEFA found out the potential breakaway on Sunday, they weren't best pleased ... especially since ECA president Andrea Agnelli also happens to be the Juventus president. And Juventus are reportedly one of the signatories to this deal.

Q: How would the new Super League work, anyway?

A: Details are still sketchy -- there are different versions of this floating around, and all of it subject to negotiations. But for it to work, you'd imagine up to 20 teams playing each other regularly, most likely with a league format followed by playoffs. But more than the format, what matters here is that the clubs would not be playing in the UEFA Champions League and would, instead, share the revenue among themselves. That's a huge departure from the basic model of European team competitions, in any sport, which is obviously different from the models used in American sports.

Q: How so?

A: Take the NBA as an example. There are 30 teams, and each owner is effectively a shareholder in the league. They split the revenues among themselves and put in salary caps and luxury taxes to stay profitable. They don't need to ask USA Basketball or FIBA (basketball's equivalent of FIFA) for permission when they want to do things.

But in European football, clubs play in national leagues that are sanctioned by national federations. In England, the Football Association sanctions the Premier League, and UEFA is a governing body of which the FA is a member that organises competitions for clubs. The bulk of the revenue generated goes back to the clubs, but the rest gets redistributed among national federations, smaller clubs and for grassroots development.

Q: And the breakaway clubs have a problem with this?

A: There's no question that the "breakaway clubs" generate a disproportionate amount of the revenue. After all, more people (and sponsors) will pay to see Barcelona vs. Manchester United than Dinamo Zagreb vs. Club Brugge. They argue they should be entitled to a bigger piece of the pie (and have been arguing this for years, progressively getting more and more). But some also question why revenues that they generate should be redistributed to smaller clubs and FAs. And they say it's about votes and keeping the gravy train going, which to some degree is true. There are more small federations than big ones, and some of the smaller ones would struggle to survive without UEFA funding.

A number of the breakaway clubs also feel that if they ran the competition themselves, they could be more agile and innovative in generating more revenue, perhaps by playing on weekends or taking it on the road to Asia or North America. After all, these are global brands.

I guess it comes down to whether you view a football club primarily as a business to be grown and whose revenues ought to be maximized, or whether you see yourself as part of a greater whole, with a duty of solidarity to others. As I see it, the former is somewhat short-sighted. After all, the next great Real Madrid or Manchester United star could come from Moldova or Northern Ireland, but if there's no functioning FA there because grassroots funding has been pulled, well ...

Q: So what happens Monday?

A: UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin basically has two options. The vote on the Champions League reform is on the agenda. He can cave in and remove it from the agenda. This would kick the can down the road, and probably lead to more negotiations with the big clubs -- this time, presumably, without the ECA, since we saw how far it got them last time -- and perhaps more concessions in their favour, maybe a greater share of revenue or direct control over the competition or guaranteed places or whatever.

Or he can stand tall and call their bluff. Approve the Champions League format, call them out by name. They issued a joint statement with the English, Spanish and Italian Football Associations as well as the Premier League, Italy's Serie A and La Liga in Spain saying they will "remain united" in their efforts to stop "a cynical project" that is "founded on the self-interest of a few clubs." And they reminded everyone that clubs joining a breakaway league would be banned from playing both international competitions, like the World Cup, and domestic leagues as well.

Q: Wow, that's extreme. So if, say, Manchester United broke away, they couldn't play in the Premier League, FA Cup or League Cup?

A: In theory, yes. They have the power to do that, though it would likely end up in court. There's a legal case to be made that if you're a governing body and a competition organiser (which FIFA, UEFA and the FAs are), you can't exclude somebody from participating. So that part remains to be seen. But I think their best strategy, if they want to stop it, is to wait it out ...

Q: What do you mean?

A: For a start, even though 2022 has been mooted for the inaugural "breakaway season," I don't see how they can make it happen. Even if they're somehow not kicked out of their domestic leagues, there are a bunch of legal and regulatory hurdles that clubs need to jump through.

At clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern and Borussia Dortmund (the two German clubs haven't signed on to this, but a breakaway without them is hard to imagine) they would be subject to member votes. They're rumoured to have big financial backing and a global deal in place with a broadcaster (not ESPN), but would that be enough to offset potential losses in the short term?

More broadly, I just don't know that the appetite is there from fans closest to the clubs -- the people who go week in, week out.

Q: But isn't the game global?

A: It is, but the reality is that clubs generate more revenue from the creatures of habit who trudge down to the stadium every week than they do from equally passionate fans halfway around the world. In Germany and England especially, there is bound to be a backlash.

Right now, stadiums are closed, but fans will be back before the end of the season at, say, Old Trafford. The Glazers aren't exactly popular there; imagine if their own supporters let them know just what they think of the idea. Optics matter. Unless the breakaway owners can convince them that this is about something other than personal greed, it's going to be very rough for them.

I'll leave you with this quote released today from Sir Alex Ferguson, somebody whose Manchester United credentials are unimpeachable: "Talk of a super league is a move away from 70 years of European club football. Both as a player for a provincial team in Dunfermline in the 1960s and as a manager at Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners Cup."

"For a small provincial club in Scotland it was like climbing Mount Everest. Everton are spending £500m to build a new stadium with the ambition to play in the Champions League. Fans all over love the competition as it is."

« Last Edit: April 18, 2021, 05:36:31 PM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2021, 01:14:39 AM »
That's a huge departure from the basic model of European team competitions, in any sport, which is obviously different from the models used in American sports.

Let's see who blinks first.

Offline lefty

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2021, 06:48:18 AM »
Nasty ass money grab by d big rich clubs shame to be ah Chelsea fan with move
I pity the fool....

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2021, 08:06:50 AM »
Nasty ass money grab by d big rich clubs shame to be ah Chelsea fan with move

So wait, you've been a Chelsea fan for years ... the same Chelsea owned by Roman Abramovich and you come swinging with moral authority?

Offline Thomo

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2021, 10:27:14 AM »
1. Withdrawing my support if Man Utd is a part of the proposed European Super League.
2. That means cancelling my subscription, not watching games and chucking my shirt.
3. European football is based in the communities and is for the fans.
4. Americans who buy European teams treat it like a franchise as they would sports teams in the USA. They have no allegiance to the fans or the community.
5. This is the height of greed. Absolute money grab
6. Tottenham is no doubt a massive team in England but hasn't won the league or any substantial trophy in decades. Not a top 6 club
7. Arsenal like Man Utd are underachieving
8. Man City like Tottenham is a big club in their city. No worldwide appeal, as they've only been recognised since becoming the Abu Dhabi club.
9.Fiorentina Perez is a slimeball who has been jealous and moaning about the PL television rights which made so called small teams in UK having as much financial clout as so called Big clubs in spain
10 Barcelona are almost broke because of their wage bill.
11. Real Madrid, though not as bad financially as Barca have a large wage bill too.
12. Uefa are damn right to ban players from World competitions and national teams if they play in that shit.
13. Big up Bruno Fernandes for expressing his disapproval by saying "dreams can't be bought"
14. More players need to speak up!
15. Big up Bayern Munich for refusing the slime

Offline lefty

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2021, 12:24:03 PM »
Nasty ass money grab by d big rich clubs shame to be ah Chelsea fan with move

So wait, you've been a Chelsea fan for years ... the same Chelsea owned by Roman Abramovich and you come swinging with moral authority?

Um I like chelsea, as I have said years before, I adopted them after a long long loss of contact with english football(no cable for like 10 years after introduction in trinidad) sat one day saw the blackest team I had ever seen fielded play and win in english football and was hooked, they are disfunctional as f**k as a club I know, but I felt "represented" whatever that means, I identify more with the too short lived Ancellotti era, the Russian had annoyed me up to today for destroying that one, I am not "plastic" the money thing was never someting I was bothered about, my support for Chelsea is pure sentiment based in a bygone era, 2012 being d peak ah dat, but yeah this is ah money grab and usurpation of football from greedy bad men by other greedy bad men and I stand by dat.

and well Drogba watching him as a creative striker was pure joy
« Last Edit: April 19, 2021, 01:02:34 PM by lefty »
I pity the fool....

Offline Tiresais

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2021, 01:15:49 PM »
Gone down like a lead balloon. They've overplayed their hands and they'll suffer the consequences

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2021, 04:30:54 PM »
They should have had a div2. A league without promotion/demotion rewards losers, in my opinion. But the 1% with their dark money strikes again.

Offline LKMaryTrini

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2021, 05:32:43 PM »
This is the biggest bluff in football.  The negative PR and the possibility of players not being allowed to play in the WC could derail this venture.  I for one don't know how FIFA could ban a player for his/her owner's actions.  Dock points, forfeit games, sure but preventing players from playing in the WC is ludicrous.  The audacity of FIFA to play the morality card is a joke and that goes for UEFA too.  My guess is that the Champions League will have a larger number of teams and more revenue will be poured into it.  That's what the leagues have been wanting anyway...a more lucrative Champions League.  I am a Man United fan and I would be very disappointed if this ESL happens and they join it.  I will still wear the colours but with a heavy heart.   

Online soccerman

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2021, 11:15:56 PM »
This is the biggest bluff in football.  The negative PR and the possibility of players not being allowed to play in the WC could derail this venture.  I for one don't know how FIFA could ban a player for his/her owner's actions.  Dock points, forfeit games, sure but preventing players from playing in the WC is ludicrous.  The audacity of FIFA to play the morality card is a joke and that goes for UEFA too.  My guess is that the Champions League will have a larger number of teams and more revenue will be poured into it.  That's what the leagues have been wanting anyway...a more lucrative Champions League.  I am a Man United fan and I would be very disappointed if this ESL happens and they join it.  I will still wear the colours but with a heavy heart.   
Not too sure about bluff, from all accounts it seems like Joel Glazer and Fiorentina Perez and willing to push through with that despite the negative PR. UEFA made their sanctions clear now let's see what the English FA and British government does, they've expressed their disregard about the move towards the six clubs now let's see if they'll sanction them. It will be interesting to see the players response, if they'll find ways to terminate their contracts amidst UEFA's threats and play for other clubs or if they'll follow the money.
I'm against this and once again these American owners and their agenda trying to bring the American franchise model in the super league in an elitist format will take away from the "purity" of the game where the West Ham's and the Leicester's a fair chance of earning to right to participate in the league. Just like most American sports, the teams having bad seasons will tank or go through the motions as there's no consequence for a losing season.

Offline Tiresais

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2021, 02:12:35 AM »
It's no bluff, the morons in charge of Real Madrid and Barcelona are desperate for extra revenue to cover their profligacy and moronic management of finances. The problem is their warped thinking that profits and revenues must rise each season, despite the inherent unsustainability of that. 

Offline Flex

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2021, 06:44:17 AM »
Fenwick, Sancho condemn European Super League
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).


TERRY Fenwick, T&T men’s football team coach, and Brent Sancho, former national team defender, have both condemned the idea of a European Super League, which will see 12 of the top clubs in Europe involved in a breakaway league.

On Sunday, news broke that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham (England), Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan (Italy), Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid (Spain) have agreed to participate in the event, which is planned to rival, or even replace, the UEFA Champions League.

“I’m listening to all of the opinions that have been thrown around,” said the English-born Fenwick, who played for Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham and Swindon Town between 1976 and 1995. “We’ve already got a good system of play, across the board, in world football. Developing a European Super League, I don’t see it making too much sense. It unhinges all of the top leagues in the world.”

The former England defender continued, “At the end of the day, every team in every country cherishes and relishes the games that are coming up and the rivalries that you’ve got in football in all the countries. This new rule, that would absolutely diminish (it).”

Sancho, who played professionally in T&T, the United States, England and Scotland, from 1998 to 2010, said, “My initial reaction is one of disgust. This is one of the things that has destroyed the game, is the pursuit of money. I’m not a fan of it because it seems like it’s driven by money.”

Do they think it’s a case of big fish eating the little fish?

Fenwick replied, “The Premier League were the first one to go worldwide with their TV rights. Wherever you are in the world today, you support a local team and you support a Manchester United or a Man City because of the Premier League. Having said that, British football provides 33 per cent of the worldwide flow of monies that are coming into FIFA because of the same television rights.

“This, I see, is to possibly undermine the Premier League and to take away the power that the Premier League has had over the last decade. It’s going to be interesting how this goes out.”

According to Sancho, “I’m very sure that the leaders of the top clubs of the world wouldn’t come out and make a statement like that unless they have every single legal aspect and opinion. They fully understand the ramifications that come with it. The mere fact that they came out with a statement means they mean business.”

The former Minister of Sport continued, “This is a reflection of what the game has become. It’s all about money, on both sides, from UEFA and FIFA side and from the Super League side. The main aspect of this is all about money. Both sides are going to try and flex their muscle because of the monetary impact.

“I didn’t see the same sort of bite-back by FIFA and UEFA when it comes to racism. They didn’t take such a strong stance. This is purely about business and money.”

Several Caribbean players (either born in the Caribbean or players eligible to play for Caribbean teams) are involved in leagues throughout Europe. How will this affect them, including Levi Garcia who is playing for Athens? Will they be keen to play in the Champions League if it becomes watered down?

Fenwick responded, “What you’re looking at here is they’re almost putting it out of reach for smaller regions of the world, like the Caribbean, for players who have got ambitions to play football at the highest level. We’ve only got to look at the development programmes in our own region and we see what the United States have done. Almost the entirety of the United States team are now playing in the top leagues in Europe. Canada (and) Mexico are doing the same.”

Fenwick, the former San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC coach, added,

“All the top Brazilians are playing in Europe because that’s where the money is. If they (have) a Super League, that puts away all the opportunities for so many more footballers. They’re trying to institute the elite players of the world in one league. The money, the TV rights, will now be angled towards that. What repercussions will that be for local, domestic leagues all over the world?”

Sancho pointed out, “Anything that would mean players making more money from the sport, I would certainly approve of, because many times the players become the bastard child of any decision made in boardrooms. From a Caribbean perspective, this will have some serious implications for the ones who are not at the top of the tree.

“Whether it be television or fans, it will now diminish the earning capacity of some of the lower-tier clubs, and even the survival of some of these clubs,” continued the interim TT Pro League chairman. “Playing against elite competition is what really gives the clubs the capacity to earn money and employ a Levi Garcia or Sheldon Bateau. For me, what is going to stop the top countries in the world from wanting to start their own leagues.

“Brazil, Argentina, France and Germany (for instance), if they (say) ‘if the clubs can do it, why can’t we do it’, and have a World Cup without T&T, Panama and Honduras. Where does this stop?”

Asked if he thinks the Super League will become a reality, Fenwick replied, “We all recognise the politics that is played out in big business. Football today is big business, so anything can happen. I’m just hoping that there (are) enough big people in the game that have got the game at heart and recognise that world football will take a hefty knock on the chin if this (is) to go forward.”

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline LKMaryTrini

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2021, 07:24:58 AM »
I repeat, it's a bluff.  This morning the clubs are meeting with domestic leagues & UEFA.  You have players voicing their displeasure about the move.  Twelve clubs playing each other repeatedly doesn't appeal to anybody.  I believe the end result is going to be a revised Champions League with more clubs playing in it but with a certain number of clubs (based on domestic league positions) receiving byes in the first couple of rounds.  All it takes is for a reasonable number of "big" players to stand up, along with the countries' governments, to put a serious dent in the ESL plans. 

Offline LKMaryTrini

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2021, 12:30:48 PM »
Chelsea already looking to back out and I'm sure more to come.  This ESL is not going to happen.

Offline LKMaryTrini

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2021, 01:01:07 PM »
Man City next.  The walls are crumbling!!

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2021, 01:16:09 PM »
This is the biggest bluff in football.  The negative PR and the possibility of players not being allowed to play in the WC could derail this venture.  I for one don't know how FIFA could ban a player for his/her owner's actions.  Dock points, forfeit games, sure but preventing players from playing in the WC is ludicrous.  The audacity of FIFA to play the morality card is a joke and that goes for UEFA too.  My guess is that the Champions League will have a larger number of teams and more revenue will be poured into it.  That's what the leagues have been wanting anyway...a more lucrative Champions League.  I am a Man United fan and I would be very disappointed if this ESL happens and they join it.  I will still wear the colours but with a heavy heart.   
Not too sure about bluff, from all accounts it seems like Joel Glazer and Fiorentina Perez and willing to push through with that despite the negative PR. UEFA made their sanctions clear now let's see what the English FA and British government does, they've expressed their disregard about the move towards the six clubs now let's see if they'll sanction them. It will be interesting to see the players response, if they'll find ways to terminate their contracts amidst UEFA's threats and play for other clubs or if they'll follow the money.
I'm against this and once again these American owners and their agenda trying to bring the American franchise model in the super league in an elitist format will take away from the "purity" of the game where the West Ham's and the Leicester's a fair chance of earning to right to participate in the league. Just like most American sports, the teams having bad seasons will tank or go through the motions as there's no consequence for a losing season.

This was no bluff, Breds. These 1% with their dark money are for real. No wonder there are so many covid skeptics. They testing the waters now. When the opportunity comes up again, they will push for it.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2021, 01:17:40 PM by Deeks »

Offline maxg

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2021, 03:47:17 PM »
E.F.A World Cup next. FIFA under attack.

Offline LKMaryTrini

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2021, 05:37:50 PM »
Deeks, what you talking about Covid skeptics?  I can't even understand the juxtaposition of that statement.  Anyway, Champions League is being reformed to include more teams and more money,,,which is what many of the big clubs have been asking UEFA to do.  Make CL bigger than it is but they have been sitting on their ass doing nothing.  The six EPL teams are out so this thing is dead in the water.  Yes, they might try to resurrect it again if the new CL format doesn't work, but for now, they both sides will get something out of it.  Every European club that has been bought by an American owner had the opportunity to say no, but they didn't.  As far as I'm concerned, the owner's of the club to spend, invest, etc however they choose with the understanding that there are consequences to their actions.

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2021, 07:27:45 PM »
Deeks, what you talking about Covid skeptics?  I can't even understand the juxtaposition of that statement.  Anyway, Champions League is being reformed to include more teams and more money,,,which is what many of the big clubs have been asking UEFA to do.  Make CL bigger than it is but they have been sitting on their ass doing nothing.  The six EPL teams are out so this thing is dead in the water.  Yes, they might try to resurrect it again if the new CL format doesn't work, but for now, they both sides will get something out of it.  Every European club that has been bought by an American owner had the opportunity to say no, but they didn't.  As far as I'm concerned, the owner's of the club to spend, invest, etc however they choose with the understanding that there are consequences to their actions.

Maybe I am using the incorrect analogy. But I would not doubt it could happen again. Let's see UEFA proposal some more. A lot of clubs want UEFA to change the format. But sharing of the monies is the cause of all of this. Clubs who regularly make it to the last 16 thru to the finals are the ones craving for a much greater share of the money.

Offline dervaig

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #19 on: April 20, 2021, 07:30:43 PM »
No bluff!
Perez was the mouthpiece, Tampa Bay Bucs and Boston Red Sox were the main drivers.

What the NFL and MLB both have is self governance. The owners select their commish.
The NFL/MLB owners get all the money, and don't have to share anything with a UEFA or FIFA.
The Euro Super Leag, thanks to the Bucs and Red Sox would have been run the same way as
the NFL and MLB.
So, why all of a sudden did it fall apart?
Man City, mid-East owners, Chelsea, Putin patnah. Man U, Arsenal and Livpool, US owners who
have no idea how deep football runs in the veins of UK fans, NO IDEA!!! Daft as the day is long.
Spurs, they came along for the ride, and the green being talked about.

This was dead, IMHO, from the time it was announced.
UEFA and FIFA would have banned all the players from all competitions. The Spanish, Italian, and
definitely the English FA, would have put the sword to each team in the 3 leagues.

Can this happen again? 100% YES!
How do you minimize the possibility of a recurrence 5, 10 years down the road?
Not sure, but measures have to be put in place.

Is a PR talking about dropping out of the league good enough? Or should each of the Prem Leag
teams face some type of punishment?
No, it is not good enough, and yes, each one needs to be penalized, punished, fined, points deducted,
you name it, it needs to happen!

Online soccerman

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2021, 10:00:33 PM »
No bluff!
Perez was the mouthpiece, Tampa Bay Bucs and Boston Red Sox were the main drivers.

What the NFL and MLB both have is self governance. The owners select their commish.
The NFL/MLB owners get all the money, and don't have to share anything with a UEFA or FIFA.
The Euro Super Leag, thanks to the Bucs and Red Sox would have been run the same way as
the NFL and MLB.
So, why all of a sudden did it fall apart?
Man City, mid-East owners, Chelsea, Putin patnah. Man U, Arsenal and Livpool, US owners who
have no idea how deep football runs in the veins of UK fans, NO IDEA!!! Daft as the day is long.
Spurs, they came along for the ride, and the green being talked about.

This was dead, IMHO, from the time it was announced.
UEFA and FIFA would have banned all the players from all competitions. The Spanish, Italian, and
definitely the English FA, would have put the sword to each team in the 3 leagues.

Can this happen again? 100% YES!
How do you minimize the possibility of a recurrence 5, 10 years down the road?
Not sure, but measures have to be put in place.

Is a PR talking about dropping out of the league good enough? Or should each of the Prem Leag
teams face some type of punishment?
No, it is not good enough, and yes, each one needs to be penalized, punished, fined, points deducted,
you name it, it needs to happen!

:beermug:

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2021, 04:31:16 AM »
No bluff!
Perez was the mouthpiece, Tampa Bay Bucs and Boston Red Sox were the main drivers.

What the NFL and MLB both have is self governance. The owners select their commish.
The NFL/MLB owners get all the money, and don't have to share anything with a UEFA or FIFA.
The Euro Super Leag, thanks to the Bucs and Red Sox would have been run the same way as
the NFL and MLB.
So, why all of a sudden did it fall apart?
Man City, mid-East owners, Chelsea, Putin patnah. Man U, Arsenal and Livpool, US owners who
have no idea how deep football runs in the veins of UK fans, NO IDEA!!! Daft as the day is long.
Spurs, they came along for the ride, and the green being talked about.

This was dead, IMHO, from the time it was announced.
UEFA and FIFA would have banned all the players from all competitions. The Spanish, Italian, and
definitely the English FA, would have put the sword to each team in the 3 leagues.

Can this happen again? 100% YES!
How do you minimize the possibility of a recurrence 5, 10 years down the road?
Not sure, but measures have to be put in place.

Is a PR talking about dropping out of the league good enough? Or should each of the Prem Leag
teams face some type of punishment?
No, it is not good enough, and yes, each one needs to be penalized, punished, fined, points deducted,
you name it, it needs to happen!


Ah!!! Bingo! Dahis what I was driving lefty to regarding "moral authority".

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #22 on: April 22, 2021, 04:46:42 AM »
Imagine Schalke get demoted. Up to a couple years ago Schalke used to play CL and Europa. Now is div. 2. fans pelt them with eggs. That is the kind of passion the people of the Super league forgot, or in case of the Americans cannot understand. Football is about meritocracy. You have to earn it. The big clubs are being thought to damn with meritocracy and embrace failure, no promotion/demotion.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/schalke-players-attacked-by-fans-after-getting-relegated-from-bundesliga-152707269.html

Offline lefty

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #23 on: April 22, 2021, 12:25:01 PM »
And yet we conveniently sidestep d American owners hiding under Perez skirt trying to turn football into f**kin' basketball in design, Chelsea agreement to this was cowardly at best, greedy at worst but by most accounts hardly sinister dat "because he Russian bullshit is bullshit

Arrogant American billionaire snakes is at d heart of this, d Russian just was told take d ride or miss d gravy and folded....cowardly yes, greedy sure, sinister I have my doubts dey
I pity the fool....

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2021, 12:37:12 PM »
And yet we conveniently sidestep d American owners hiding under Perez skirt trying to turn football into f**kin' basketball in design, Chelsea agreement to this was cowardly at best, greedy at worst but by most accounts hardly sinister dat "because he Russian bullshit is bullshit

Arrogant American billionaire snakes is at d heart of this, d Russian just was told take d ride or miss d gravy and folded....cowardly yes, greedy sure, sinister I have my doubts dey

You have doubts about his Kremlin pedigree?

Offline lefty

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #25 on: April 22, 2021, 12:59:58 PM »
And yet we conveniently sidestep d American owners hiding under Perez skirt trying to turn football into f**kin' basketball in design, Chelsea agreement to this was cowardly at best, greedy at worst but by most accounts hardly sinister dat "because he Russian bullshit is bullshit

Arrogant American billionaire snakes is at d heart of this, d Russian just was told take d ride or miss d gravy and folded....cowardly yes, greedy sure, sinister I have my doubts dey

You have doubts about his Kremlin pedigree?
his Kremlin links are well known, I struggle to find where that and ESL coalesce as it relates to the issue at hand
I pity the fool....

Offline lefty

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2021, 02:17:56 PM »
break it down very interestingly with no agendas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUtWi9idFs
I pity the fool....

Offline Deeks

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #27 on: April 22, 2021, 03:42:27 PM »
And yet we conveniently sidestep d American owners hiding under Perez skirt trying to turn football into f**kin' basketball in design, Chelsea agreement to this was cowardly at best, greedy at worst but by most accounts hardly sinister dat "because he Russian bullshit is bullshit

Arrogant American billionaire snakes is at d heart of this, d Russian just was told take d ride or miss d gravy and folded....cowardly yes, greedy sure, sinister I have my doubts dey

Breds, who is we ? I was not for it. But I thought they would have pushed it thru anyway. The only thing that causes this to fall, was the collective grassroots response from the fans of the very clubs and other clubs fans all over Europe.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2021, 05:32:56 PM by Deeks »

Offline Flex

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Re: European Super League Thread
« Reply #28 on: June 09, 2021, 04:54:14 PM »
Soccer-Premier League Big Six reach settlement over Super League

(Reuters)
-The six English clubs that said they would join the European Super League will pay a combined 22 million pounds ($31 million) as "a gesture of goodwill" and face a 30-point deduction if they attempt a similar move in future, the Premier League said on Wednesday.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will also each be fined 25 million pounds if they attempt another breakaway, the league added.

The 22 million pounds collective payment by the 'Big Six' will go towards "the good of the game", including new investment in support for fans, grassroots football and community programmes.

"The Premier League and The FA have worked closely together throughout this process and this agreement brings both investigations into the matter to a conclusion," the league said in a statement

The Super League was launched with 12 clubs as founding members, but nine of them -- six from England and AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid -- have since backed out and reached a deal with UEFA.

($1 = 0.7076 pounds)

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad and Simon Jennings in Bangalore; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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