Top European Soccer Teams Agree to Join Breakaway League

[Section Q]

3 hours ago, Paolo said:

I know it has been talked about before by the big teams, but it seems it may have taken a step closer.   Probably won’t impact Scottish football or us, but the leagues concerned should be expelled from their leagues immediately, if anything were to be announced.  The problem is, particularly England, they probably can’t afford to do that, with the TV money being what it is.  
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/18/sports/soccer/super-league-united-liverpool-juventus-madrid.html

Bring on the Atlantic League.....

[Footballfirst]

I know that it is on a different scale, but it's a repetition of the formation of the EPL and SPL in 1992 and 1998 respectively, where the bigger clubs wanted control and a larger share of the pie.

 

Both domestic leagues relented to the extent of allowing promotion/relegation in order to maintain their status with their respective FAs, but be in no doubt the EPL and SPFL control football domestically and not the FA/SFA.

 

Current advocates of a more professionally focused SPFL consisting only of full time clubs make the same argument.

 

Plenty noise will come from the clubs that are excluded, not for the greater good, but more for self interest reasons as they fear a drop in income and status.  

[Nookie Bear]

1 minute ago, dobmisterdobster said:

 

Already happened.

 

"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."

Lovely. 
 

It would be interesting to hear the views of the ‘real’ fans of those clubs. Are they happy to play the same 11 teams every year, missing out on local rivalries and decent away days?

 

Wonder how they will feel if they are bottom of the league a few times as well. 

[Angel eyes]

[Footballfirst]

5 minutes ago, Angel eyes said:

A closed shop regarding a European super league no relegation and the richest clubs getting richer.

The major US sports operate a similar model with their franchise operations. 

 

It hasn't done much damage to the tiers below the elite, e.g. college football or basketball.

[Section Q]

Beaks not happy...

 

"""Senior Uefa figures are furious that 11 major European clubs, including five from England, have signed up to a breakaway European Super League."""

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56794673

[ri Alban]

I take it sky etc... Have given them the green light. 

[pablo]

5 minutes ago, Angel eyes said:

 

Hard to disagree with this message 

[Footballfirst]

Now the Westminster government has its say.

 

[Jambo in Bathgate]

1 hour ago, Rizla said:

Oh please please take them away, utter f&@king pests the both of them.

Why would England want Celtic with all their Green Brigade support. 

[Tazio]

6 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

The major US sports operate a similar model with their franchise operations. 

 

It hasn't done much damage to the tiers below the elite, e.g. college football or basketball.

That’s a very unique situation though. American college football is huge and until not so long ago all the biggest stadiums were college ones. 

[The Mighty Thor]

1 minute ago, Footballfirst said:

Now the Westminster government has its say.

 

Obviously none of them have been cut into the deal. 

 

[Pasquale for King]

1 minute ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Why would England want Celtic with all their Green Brigade support. 

You think they want their bigoted cousins either? 
Money talks though. 

[The Mighty Thor]

Be interesting to see what the TV deal implications would be with Sky as that would have huge ramifications for the EPL deal. 

[Nookie Bear]

7 minutes ago, ri Alban said:

I take it sky etc... Have given them the green light. 

I did wonder how this was going to be funded. 

[Jambo in Bathgate]

1 minute ago, Pasquale for King said:

You think they want their bigoted cousins either? 
Money talks though. 

Do you mean equally bigoted? 

[Trajan]

14 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

Lovely. 
 

It would be interesting to hear the views of the ‘real’ fans of those clubs. Are they happy to play the same 11 teams every year, missing out on local rivalries and decent away days?

 

Wonder how they will feel if they are bottom of the league a few times as well. 

 

I suspect that is why they're rushing this proposal through so quickly. By next season, clubs are probably hoping that fans will be back. It'll probably be easier for these breakaway clubs to ignore people complaining on Twitter and signing online petitions, than protests inside the stadium in front of a global audience. 

[Footballfirst]

Just now, The Mighty Thor said:

Be interesting to see what the TV deal implications would be with Sky as that would have huge ramifications for the EPL deal. 

It would depend on who buys the coverage.

 

I'd still expect Sky or BT to bid to cover any super league. However, it could easily go to Amazon or Netflix.

[The Mighty Thor]

I suppose that this was inevitable as soon as the money coming in from the supporters began to be dwarfed by TV dough. 

Fans aren't important enough nowadays. It's about far east and middle east shirt sales not your ST money.

[heartmussel]

8 minutes ago, The Mighty Thor said:

Be interesting to see what the TV deal implications would be with Sky as that would have huge ramifications for the EPL deal. 

Don’t know much about it but the reaction on Sky Sports at the moment is that they are very much in the dark and I would imagine huge ramifications, but I remember when all these rich investors were welcomed to the big English clubs.

[The Hogfather]

Gary Neville absolutely spot on with his evisceration of these football clubs. Football being taken away from the people who've made it what it is to suit billionaires who have no connection with their local communities or their fanbases.  

[Rogue Daddy]

39 minutes ago, The Mighty Thor said:

UEFA have got some neck on them.

 

They're changing the Champions League format to hand out invites to 'big clubs' that might have had a pish season whilst actual champions of countries need to play 3 qualifying rounds. 

 

Whether it's now or later a Euro league is coming and UEFA will be 'oot the windae' 

The European Cup of old, where only the Champions of leagues were permitted, is well and truly gone and forgotten. Coin (or tv revenue) is all that matters these days. 

[3fingersreid]

1 minute ago, Nunya Business said:

Gary Neville absolutely spot on with his evisceration of these football clubs. Football being taken away from the people who've made it what it is to suit billionaires who have no connection with their local communities or their fanbases.  

He was absolutely spot on 👏🏻

I will add I’ve no sympathies for UEFA either , they helped create the monster of greed 

[Tommy Brown]

36 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

UEFA have never had a choice.

 

Every single time the Champions League format's come up for renewal, the biggest European clubs have threatened a breakaway. And it's the biggest clubs who, in practice, have all the power.

 

So UEFA have tried to keep them inside the tent pissing out, not outside pissing in... but we've moved step by step by inexorable step to this. Qatar hosting the World Cup is also part of this - because it'd allow the biggest clubs, if they take over, to sychnronise the global calendar and play prestige friendlies/some other naff exhibition tournament every June. 

 

This is just the highest stakes poker game we've seen yet. "Give us what we want now UEFA, or we're off". And they might end up staying one last time - but a Super League's only ever been a question of when, not if.

Good post Shaun.

Only thing I would say is the "When, not if"

This has been getting harped on about for over 30 years. The joy is that the OF get weaker and weaker to the clubs.

 

I would say "On you go" but you lose all rights to your home countries FAs.

No more best of both worlds.

No more milking the EPL and ECL cash.

[Japan Jambo]

1 hour ago, indianajones said:

Spew. 

 

RIP football. 

 

lol, it died a while ago.

[The Mighty Thor]

5 minutes ago, heartmussel said:

Don’t know much about it but the reaction on Sky Sports at the moment is that they are very much in the dark and I would imagine huge ramifications, but I remember when all these rich investors were welcomed to the big English clubs.

I would suspect that Sky's mucky paw prints are all over this. 

There's no danger the biggest 6 clubs in their cash cow are contemplating boosting out of the EPL without them being aware of it.

[shaun.lawson]

 

[shaun.lawson]

https://shaunjlawson.medium.com/falling-out-of-love-with-football-a-fans-lament-9405585ee211

[BelgeJambo]

Who is actually at the forefront of this idea?  A person?

[Rogue Daddy]

22 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Why would England want Celtic with all their Green Brigade support. 

More to the point, why would Celtic want to be part of an English league... you know, given their staunch Oirish routes? Fecking fickle mhanks!

[kingantti1874]

European leagues are inevitable, I don’t think this will land but sooner or later there will be reform. Hopefully we are part of it - would happily see the end of the clubs who voted against us last season. 

[SectionDJambo]

What value is there, not in a money sense, in winning a competition with no history? Just cobbled together for the financial gain of owners and shareholders. It’s worthless in glory terms.
Will fans of these clubs really be happy with this if it actually happens, or will they turn their backs on it? Trouble is, if the domestic fans were to not subscribe to viewing or attending, the football tourists from the Far East would still finance it.

Football as we have known and loved it for over 100 years is all but finished now that the money men have their claws in it. We have no chance of ever seeing a club like Hearts in a European quarter final again, or like Dundee United in a semi final. 

[Costanza]

31 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

Lovely. 
 

It would be interesting to hear the views of the ‘real’ fans of those clubs. Are they happy to play the same 11 teams every year, missing out on local rivalries and decent away days?

 

Wonder how they will feel if they are bottom of the league a few times as well. 

Absolutely this. I can't believe the majority of fans of say Liverpool would be for this.

These supporters have the power though. If they en masse say they would boycott ganes, it would seriously hamper this getting off the ground. Whilst gate revenue doesn't match tv money, we've seen how pish football is without fans, so fans can stop this if they collectively organise.

[gashauskis9]

6 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

Neville nails it again 👏👏👏

[shaun.lawson]

6 minutes ago, BelgeJambo said:

Who is actually at the forefront of this idea?  A person?

 

Andrea Agnelli.

 

The loathsome Mino Raiola will have his grubby pawprints all over it too.

[RobboM]

Is there really an interest in this though? I used to watch Champions League football when it was part of Sky but wasn't heartbroken when they lost it to BT. If I want to see a match then there's plenty of free ways of watching it and I rarely think I would have been happy to pay for that.

It's local football that people want to watch. Testing yourself against other nations is just cream on top. Who wants a meal that is nothing but cream. It'll be dull very very quickly imo

[Trajan]

I also question for how long this 'Super League' will remain popular. We're talking about clubs whose fans have been used to winning trophies every season, or at the very least, finishing at the top end of the table and qualifying for Europe. How long will they stick around or enjoy the football if their clubs are finishing 12th, 13th of 14th? If that happens consistently, some of these clubs might start wishing they could move back to their own domestic league. 

[The Hogfather]

2 minutes ago, Trajan said:

I also question for how long this 'Super League' will remain popular. We're talking about clubs whose fans have been used to winning trophies every season, or at the very least, finishing at the top end of the table and qualifying for Europe. How long will they stick around or enjoy the football if their clubs are finishing 12th, 13th of 14th? If that happens consistently, some of these clubs might start wishing they could move back to their own domestic league. 

 

It'll be massively popular with TV fans, but not with the match-going fans. The faceless fan accounts on Twitter will be all over it, because they don't understand what makes football football.

[Mysterion]

14 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

That’s a superb bit of commentary from Neville. 👏

[DETTY29]

At least the big clubs aren't whoring their colt clubs (which would be their u23) to be allowed to stay behind.

 

Yet.

[Rizla]

45 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Why would England want Celtic with all their Green Brigade support. 

Money 

[dobmisterdobster]

3 minutes ago, DETTY29 said:

At least the big clubs aren't whoring their colt clubs (which would be their u23) to be allowed to stay behind.

 

Yet.

 

UEFA and all the FAs and Leagues involved have already said no.

[kingantti1874]

European breakaway aside. Even the proposed reforms champions league competition is an absolute joke.

 

teams will qualify based on their history, so Liverpool could take a place from a team who finished higher than them this season.

 

tbh, I’d rather the big clubs broke away than that.  Leave the rest of us to reform and consolidate the league. We can see where the support will gravitate 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

56 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

The major US sports operate a similar model with their franchise operations. 

 

It hasn't done much damage to the tiers below the elite, e.g. college football or basketball.

College football may be a feeder pool for the NFL but it’s certainly not ‘below’ it. It’s just not comparable to lower tiers in Europe.

 

[Jamhammer]

1 hour ago, Nookie Bear said:

Lovely. 
 

It would be interesting to hear the views of the ‘real’ fans of those clubs. Are they happy to play the same 11 teams every year, missing out on local rivalries and decent away days?

 

Wonder how they will feel if they are bottom of the league a few times as well. 

Woohoo. West Ham win the league 😀😀

[Rizla]

2 hours ago, alwaysthereinspirit said:

We could all handle them just being pests

Need to get rentokil involved.

[Locky]

2 hours ago, Paolo said:

I think German sides have not committed, at least not yet. 
 

I hope they don’t, and would not be surprised if they did not.  They seem to be far more aware of the fans, and their identity, than other European clubs. 

Definitely. The Borussia Dortmund fans have been particularly vocal about this new CL format, let alone a super league. Bayern on the other hand...

[Pasquale for King]

53 minutes ago, Jambo in Bathgate said:

Do you mean equally bigoted? 

I didn’t but I agree. Two cheeks of the same arse. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Pasquale for King

[Seymour M Hersh]

Was very amusing watching Neville get hysterical about this. It's as if he's just noticed all the clubs are greedy for cash. He never seemed to have a problem with the EPL being separate from the FA and allowing huge amounts of ever increasing cash from sky every four year cycle.

 

He also makes it out that the clubs will be the main beneficiaries financially when we all know it will be the players. Bearing in mind the "top" players are now getting anywhere from 150k - 350k per week. So we'll soon see the first 500k basic per week player I suppose. For me football as I knew was goosed once Sky got their claws into it and the is just it evolving further.  

 

For me it's a case of **** em all they're reaping what they sowed, The greedy players and their greedier agents, the greedy clubs, UEFA, FIFA, The EPL, The FA and that **** Doncaster (it's probably all his doing anyway). 

[Footballfirst]

UEFA's own Champions League came about through the same greed by the biggest clubs to maintain their dominance over the rest.

 

It's risible for them to start complaining now, when then have acceded to everything asked of them by the biggest clubs in previous years. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Footballfirst