European Super League.

[Bully Wee Villa]

I'd never heard of them before yesterday, either, but they seem to have denied it so you can ignore me 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadline.com/2021/04/european-super-league-manutd-barcelona-real-madrid-dazn-anger-1234739114/amp/

 

[johnnydun]

Tim Keyes and Mark Ogren waiting for the European Super League Western Conference Tier 6 to be announced.

[Alert Mongoose]

Hopefully the idiots get duped into selling out to Hesgoal or something similar.

[Caledonian1]

1 hour ago, LondonHMFC said:

 

Wonder if any of the clubs have actually stated what they need this extra money for?  Is it to retain staff, increase staff wages, support grass roots foootball in the community?

[vikingTON]

10 minutes ago, Caledonian1 said:

 

Quite a number of players must surely value playing for their country and winning a world cup....that is still the ultimate in football.......far far greater than winning the champions League every few years.  

It's not 1954, so not really.

[San Starko Rover]

Any attempt at legal action over the very real threat is ludicrous, but I strongly believe the leagues, UEFA and FIFA will bottle it and won't kick them out because they couldn't bear to lose that revenue.

I’d love FIFA, UEFA, the FAs and the leagues to actually hammer all 12 clubs for their sheer arrogance but they’ll bottle it and cave into most of their demands. In the hope they don’t leave.

[AJF]

40 minutes ago, charger29 said:

https://apnews.com/article/europe-international-soccer-champions-league-gianni-infantino-barcelona-749ce4257b0f9a17b3fc34d60cccd00c

Even if they were able to somehow avoid players being banned from World Cups and the Euro's, then I'd hope that each respective FA make it clear to the National Team manager that under no circumstances should they select any of these players in their squads.

So, while they won't technically be banned, they won't be playing in it.

[D Angelo Barksdale]

This may still turn out to just be a power play from these clubs to wrestle more money and concessions from UEFA in Champions League reforms.

But, this is the natural consequence of what has come before. The EPL, UEFA and Sky's opposition is welcome, but let's not forget that they are the ones who have long sowed the seeds of this situation. They are the ones who have invited nation states, oligarchs, corporations and other predatory motherfuckers into our game to run our clubs and competitions, to the detriment of our game. Their mewlings about 'meritocracy' and 'the good of the game' can get filed straight in the bin. Their only concern is that the geese who lay the golden eggs are going to set up their nests elsewhere.

Success in football has nearly always been down to who has the most money, but it's beyond that now. Too much money, but morally and ethically bankrupt with very little regulation.

(unironically) The game is gone.

 

 

[San Starko Rover]

It's not 1954, so not really.

No it’s not but I do think international football is important to most of them. If ESL meant not playing international again it’d be a deal breaker for many players.

[peasy23]

[jamamafegan]

There’s some total gimp from Aberdeen (Celtic fan) on 5 Live Sport just now saying this is a “great opportunity” for these clubs and it “really wets my appetite.”

[Bully Wee Villa]

1 minute ago, AJF said:

Even if they were able to somehow avoid players being banned from World Cups and the Euro's, then I'd hope that each respective FA make it clear to the National Team manager that under no circumstances should they select any of these players in their squads.

So, while they won't technically be banned, they won't be playing in it.

It would have to be a ban or you can guarantee some team would break ranks.

Is SJM next in line for Scotland captaincy?

[G51]

Must say, while it obviously isn't a good thing, some of the reactions from the English press who thought the Premier League was the greatest thing in the world is absolutely exquisite.

Alan Nixon of the Sun seems to think the PL has "unlimited powers" over these clubs, which is just laughable. No Alan, it doesn't. If the PL tries to sanction them by doing something they won't tolerate, then they'll just resign, f**k off and make the ESL the 40-game-a-season competition that it is destined to become.

[Hedgecutter]

From what I see, much of this anger is driven by the assumption that the Big 6 are breaking away from the EPL completely, which doesn't seem to be the case.  Is it basically little more than the scrapping of the Champions League with its replacement being restricted to an elite group who want the guaranteed number of European games that they'd get if they reached the final stages of the CL? 

[vikingTON]

2 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

 

No it’s not but I do think international football is important to most of them. If ESL meant not playing international again it’d be a deal breaker for many players.

 

Ryan Giggs never played at an international tournament because back then they weren't letting in half of Europe every four years: he had a not bad career regardless. No different to Paul Scholes who flitted in and out of an ever-present 'big international team' actually. Do you think Haland is holding out for Norway to not be as horseshit as the last 20 years? 

It's a sideshow to the format where player ambitions really play out.

[SouthLanarkshireWhite]

If the FA have any bollocks then they will take Chelsea out the FA Cup final and replace with Southampton. Easiest way to show they are serious.

[Michael W]

4 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

 

No it’s not but I do think international football is important to most of them. If ESL meant not playing international again it’d be a deal breaker for many players.

 

I think this is overstated. The clubs pay their wages and at this level, do so handsomely. The standard is also much higher at elite club level than it is at international level. 

International football might be the pinnacle for a Declan Gallagher, or a David Marshall, but it isn't for a Scott McTominay or Kieran Tierney. 

[AJF]

1 minute ago, Hedgecutter said:

From what I see, much of this anger is driven by the assumption that the Big 6 are breaking away from the EPL completely, which doesn't seem to be the case.  Is it basically little more than the scrapping of the Champions League with its replacement being restricted to an elite group who want the guaranteed number of European games that they'd get if they reached the final stages of the CL? 

Right now that is the situation, but the issue domestically is that these teams will be getting £350M in additional funds compared to their domestic rivals so it makes it extremely unbalanced.

[G51]

1 minute ago, Hedgecutter said:

From what I see, much of this anger is driven by the assumption that the Big 6 are breaking away from the EPL completely, which doesn't seem to be the case.  Is it basically little more than the scrapping of the Champions League with its replacement being restricted to an elite group who want the guaranteed number of European games that they'd get if they reached the final stages of the CL? 

But the problem is that by guaranteeing them places in a better competition than the CL, the Premier League is effectively undermined. What incentive is there for these clubs to play well in the EPL if European qualification is not at stake?

Winning the league title, sure. But four of these clubs are clearly nowhere near good enough to do that. So once they're out of that race by October, the rest of their domestic season becomes glorified friendlies.

[Dons_1988]

5 minutes ago, Henderson to deliver ..... said:

This may still turn out to just be a power play from these clubs to wrestle more money and concessions from UEFA in Champions League reforms.

But, this is the natural consequence of what has come before. The EPL, UEFA and Sky's opposition is welcome, but let's not forget that they are the ones who have long sowed the seeds of this situation. They are the ones who have invited nation states, oligarchs, corporations and other predatory motherfuckers into our game to run our clubs and competitions, to the detriment of our game. Their mewlings about 'meritocracy' and 'the good of the game' can get filed straight in the bin. Their only concern is that the geese who lay the golden eggs are going to set up their nests elsewhere.

Success in football has nearly always been down to who has the most money, but it's beyond that now. Too much money, but morally and ethically bankrupt with very little regulation.

(unironically) The game is gone.

 

 

I’ve said a few times on here there’s a sliding scale of football being a sport and a business and it’s been inching more and more towards business throughout my life and this is just making it official. 

certain clubs want a guarantee on their revenues to protect shareholders. The only thing you can say for the likes of uefa is that they didn’t completely abandon the veneer of it not being a closed shop. Outside of that they’re as guilty as these clubs and they can shut the f**k up with their complaints of fairness.