European Super League

[Ixion]

I can see both sides of the argument. This Super league stinks of greed. But I can also see the points others made that UEFA and FIFA are corrupt bastards too.

So I'll reserve judgment until we see how all of this pans out.

I think everyone agrees that FIFA and UEFA need to change but this is clearly not about them, it's about filling pockets of greedy owners. And any change that does happen cannot include teams being exempt from relegation and rewards not being based on merit. We don't need to see how it pans out to know that is true and an approach like that is unacceptable.

 

[Tom Cato]

The irony here is of course that this is a problem of the clubs own making.

 

[kouroux]

I'm a Barca supporter and I don't know yet.

One the one hand, I support the destruction of the mafia organization called Uefa. I hate everything they stand for and Perez is totally right when he said, that we know every salary of football players, but we dont know the salary of Ceferin. Uefa plays it's part as the middleman and organizer, but takes way too much money from the work of the clubs and players. The teams are not their property and it's about time they learned it the hard way. We saw yesterday the real Ceferin. When Uefa didn't have the time to prepare a polite answer. When Ceferin wasn't briefed by his lawyers. We saw what kind of a man he is. Just insulting people and clubs and reading a text, on a topic where every footballfan could or better said should speak from his heart.

On the other hand I fear for the emotions of football. A league without relegations and guarateed spots could become stale very fast. What makes football so exciting is, that nearly every match counts for something. This would change with the new format of the ESL. Half the league getting into the playoffs anyways. So whats the point in being the 1st? Money? Its not something the fans get excited for. How is this different to wait for CL quater finals like Perez said or the ESL playoffs? Or if for example Arsenal loses the first 5 games, why should they even compete after that? They can't get relegated, so why should they care if they are last? Thats something I'm afraid of, but then again, ESL can also have reforms as the CL does every few years.

What I dont believe in, is that the ESL will be the death of football and the small teams. What will change? The big teams buy every good players anyways today. So the only thing that will change is the transfer fee of those players. Haaland will cost 200 Mio instead of 100 Mio. But he will go anyway to a big club, ESL or not. So the status quo of football will not change in my opinion. It will stay the same. The same teams will compete in the domestic leagues, the same teams will buy all the good players. Football is for a lot of years already devided into elite clubs and the rest.

When I think about it, I take it into the possible bans each of those 12 teams would receive. I mean the worst possible scenario is that and La Liga without their 3 teams would be ridiculious just as the PL without the 6. That's what would kill football

 

[Joe Cool]

I voted "YES" for the ESL because:

1. I'm sick of VAR, the lack of consistency of English referees. I'm honestly tired of being frustrated with the lack of accountability with refereeing

2. I lost interest in watching Manutd games against the likes of Granada, Burnley, Cyrstal Palace, etc. I find myself always scrolling through Instagram during these small team games. During big games against the likes of City, Liverpool and Chelsea, however, I'm fully emotionally invested. And I like that feeling. So hopefully the ESL can bring back my passion for football

3. I'm sick of paying multiple telecommunications hundreds of dollars per month for sports coverage. The ESL can solve this issue by having its own network or partnering up with leading streaming companies such as Netflix, Hulu, or Disney. I do not mind for paying affordable streaming services. Currently, I'm subscribed to Netflix and Disney.

From a football fan perspective that does not reside in UK, I don't see any downside to the ESL. I notice that is a lot of talk of "English Pyramid", "Coaches jobs", "Stadium infrastructures investment", "UK tv rights", etc. Not to be insensitive, but none of those are a concern to global football fans that just want to watch the best players compete against each other in a convenient platform at bargain prices.

The stuff that excites me most about football:

1. Watching the best team which also means best players and managers competing against each other

2. Transfer market. Imagine trading Bruno Fernandes for Harry Kane. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think that is what us younger fans want to see. Shocking and exciting transfers. Changing team dynamics, etc

I think the ESL can provide an outstanding product. I will probably receive backlash for this post. But this is my geniune opinion, and I cannot wait for football to be exciting again. I want to be emotionally invested week in and week out, and that can only happen if the best players in terms of skills and branding are pitted against each other.

Your opinion, I respect that, but personally I think it's wrong on all levels. Football is based on merit, if you are bored of a United v Granada or United v Burnley then maybe it's best you don't follow United at all. What's the point really? Means you are just hunting for the glory and only care about the side stuff, the posh things about this sport and not the true essence of it. The beauty of football is that it is the complete oposite of wrestling, it's not a fake show to appease some fools in the stands with fake tricks and fecks knows what other things. I go to the stadium and I support my club through thick and thin and if Chelsea cannot win against Burnley and Newcastle then it means they do not deserve to be at the same table with the big boys and can start over next season and try to go there BY MERIT, BY WINNING THEIR PLACE IN THE UCL, not given by default by greedy feckers.

Football is not about four hour shows, lots of commercials, always Barcelona v Chelsea and City v Real Madrid, this is not built as NFL, NHL etc. nor it should ever transform into such.

I hate West Ham with a passion, but imagine their fans these days, they can't fecking sleep before games nowadays, the thrill is immense, that's the beauty of football. I don't care about Chelsea v Arsenal every other week, I love away days in Birmingham and Southmpton, too, I love to make fun of my Arsenal and Spurs mates when they lose v Wolves and Sheffield and I love scrappy wins at home against relegation fodder when we're in a title race fight or a top four battle.

This super league it's everything that's wrong with modern football

 

[Sphaero]

Interesting interview from Perez.

He's obviously right on one point, far too much filler in the champions league and the new format is even worse.

The CL with only top league teams in it like the super League, but with Merit based qualifications is the way to go.

It is still a hilarious point to make as the watering down process of the CL was made to appease the big Clubs of the major leagues and give them more assurances to participate. Now the CL is made worse in the eyes of many and the majority of the same clubs which were the drivers of the reform feck off regardless, screwing everyone else over in the process. Disgraceful.

 

[gajender]

The sinister 6 won't even be at this meeting today so nobody will be trying to justify it.

Today's meeting will be to boot the baddies out of the league.

You would hope so but we are all thinking as fans but all the remaining Clubs are also big businesses run by similar owners make no mistake about it .
I don't think they would as emotional about it as some on this forum are whatever we perceive to be the right thing to do might not be the right way forward for them there is just too much at stake for them as well.

 

[Paxi]

That poster is the type of fan the ESL is targeting.

Yeah. Why even bother with football? Stick to 15 minute games of fifa and do us all a favour.

 

[sewey89]

I know there’s a lot of Corden fans on here...



Being serous though, he’s absolutely spot on

 

[Godfather]

No one is saying that Uefa or Fifa are angels. But this is bigger than everything. We all agree that the CL has become a bit of an issue, but that is not really the point here. It is also not the reason why so many top clubs have severe financial problems or that the owner want to squeeze more money out of their "investment"

That's what happens though when you sell your club. The problems and it's roots were laid when especially in the PL clubs decided to let guys like these into their clubs and run it like a pure business. So all of that doesn't come much as a surprise and yes it's perverted and obscene. But it's been like that for years. This is just another step. I for one will wait and see how all of that pans out. Maybe this will be dead in the coming weeks.

 

[markhughes]

Hopefully they vote to kick the 6 clubs out of the football league or at the very least relegate the teams. Surely at the very least there will be a points deduction for all teams?

 

[dinostar77]

Interesting interview from Perez.

He's obviously right on one point, far too much filler in the champions league and the new format is even worse.

The CL with only top league teams in it like the super League, but with Merit based qualifications is the way to go.

One thing perez and co are forgetting the reason that viewing figures are down is because the CL is behind a paywall. When ITV had games on the tue/wed nights the viewing figures were huge because it was on free to air. We lost that, then we lost the highlights package on ITV.

Are the plastic fans that perez and co targeting going to pay for a new subscription to sky/bt/disney etc? Are they hell. Its the so called legacy fans who pay to watch their team in all competitions against all opposition, not just the opposition that sounds nice for the plastic fans.

I truly hope if ESL goes ahead people just pirate the streams. The less money vultures like perez get the better.

 

[lysglimt]

This post could only get more American if you somehow snuck in a couple of "they won't take my guns!" in there.

Make the C.L great again ? That could help as well

 

[Lyricist]

They've got together and are working on what to do.

Nice to see.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Does anyone really thinks FIFA will ban players from representing their countries? Are they really that naive to think that anyone will bother watching a World Cup without 150 of the best players in the world in it?

Of players goto a league that is not licensed by fifa, play under different rules and regulations (less time played, more subs, more balls, whatever) then of course they can’t just waltz up to a fifa tournament demanding to play, it’s not being banned it’s choosing to go and play in a different organisation. Bit like a rugby league player crying why Scotland rugby union national team didn’t pick him. That’s different to being banned and I hope that’s the way the super league goes.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Everton is saddened and disappointed to see proposals of a breakaway league pushed forward by six clubs.

Six clubs acting entirely in their own interests.

Six clubs tarnishing the reputation of our league and the game.

Six clubs choosing to disrespect every other club with whom they sit around the Premier League table.

Six clubs taking for granted and even betraying the majority of football supporters across our country and beyond.

At this time of national and international crisis - and a defining period for our game - clubs should be working together collaboratively with the ideals of our game and its supporters uppermost.

Instead, these clubs have been secretly conspiring to break away from a football pyramid that has served them so well.

And in that Pyramid Everton salutes EVERY club, be it Leicester City, Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Lincoln City, Morecambe, Southend United, Notts County and the rest who have, with their very being, enriched the lives of their supporters throughout the game's history. And vice versa.

The self-proclaimed Super Six appear intent on disenfranchising supporters across the game - including their own - by putting the very structure that underpins the game we love under threat.

The backlash is understandable and deserved – and has to be listened to.

This preposterous arrogance is not wanted anywhere in football outside of the clubs that have drafted this plan.

On behalf of everyone associated with Everton, we respectfully ask that the proposals are immediately withdrawn and that the private meetings and subversive practises that have brought our beautiful game to possibly its lowest ever position in terms of trust end now.

Finally we would ask the owners, chairmen, and Board members of the six clubs to remember the privileged position they hold – not only as custodians of their clubs but also custodians of the game. The responsibility they carry should be taken seriously.

We urge them all to consider what they wish their legacy to be.

Everton FC Board of Directors

 

[pratyush_utd]

United and other big clubs need the domestic leagues to survive as well. They need to be able to win most weeks to attract fair weather fans, and this is not something that will happen in the Super League.

United can survive 2 years without PL but reverse isn't true. So no, PL won't kick them out. I am 100% sure on this

 

[Random Task]

Hope they can keep focused.

All it will take is one "what the feck are Spurs doing here" or "Chelsea started all this with Roman" or "Man United are leading this" and the tribalism will take over!

I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to find out Mr Disneyland himself, Ed Woodward, is spearheading this whole thing.

 

[90 + 5min]

The irony here is of course that this is a problem of the clubs own making.

How about not giving 300000 € in wages? They are living in different galaxy.

I’m almost wanting this to be football meltdown by epic proportions and that football ”start” over again.

 

[Paxi]

I honestly find this point of view offensive.

It’s baffling isn’t it?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

I know this is a vote and everyone is entitled to their opinion but I see a small percentage have voted for the proposal.

Without descending into a bitter argument, would any of those who did, care to state why they think it’s a good idea? How it benefits the fans and the domestic game as a whole?

 

[Zlatan 7]

The goal is to win the competition. There is too much emphasis on qualifying, the top 4 trophy has really messed up some perceptions.

By the same standards you can say that the CL became a plastic meaningless competition when they allowed for non-Champions to participate. So should it have been called the 'Champions and three runners up league'?

What do Barca and Real lose when they don't win the CL? They are back at in again next year no? But not winning it is a failure by itself.

This post is so dull.

 

[Godfather]

I think everyone agrees that FIFA and UEFA need to change but this is clearly not about them, it's about filling pockets of greedy owners. And any change that does happen cannot include teams being exempt from relegation and rewards not being based on merit. We don't need to see how it pans out to know that is true and an approach like that is unacceptable.

When has it not been? That's my point. We've decided to walk this path when we sold the club to American investors. Same goes for all those participating in the ESL. It's disgusting but the outcry comes too late.

 

[Random Task]

I hope the 14 clubs holding the meeting today vote to kick the dirty six out of the league with immediate effect.

Do it.

 

[red4ever 79]

Hopefully they vote to kick the 6 clubs out of the football league or at the very least relegate the teams. Surely at the very least there will be a points deduction for all teams?

Steve Parish gave a good interview last night ( he will be at the meeting today) he discussed what will be on the agenda today. Fast forward to 7:50

 

[DWelbz19]

I know there’s a lot of Corden fans on here...



Being serous though, he’s absolutely spot on

Bit of cognitive dissonance watching that.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

The sinister 6 won't even be at this meeting today so nobody will be trying to justify it.

Today's meeting will be to boot the baddies out of the league.

Ah of course, that's why it's 14.

I hope everyone dials heat to a 100 on the big 15 and forces them to compromise. It's just sad that our clubs are so grossly on the wrong side of history here.

 

[hubbuh]

I voted "YES" for the ESL because:

1. I'm sick of VAR, the lack of consistency of English referees. I'm honestly tired of being frustrated with the lack of accountability with refereeing

2. I lost interest in watching Manutd games against the likes of Granada, Burnley, Cyrstal Palace, etc. I find myself always scrolling through Instagram during these small team games. During big games against the likes of City, Liverpool and Chelsea, however, I'm fully emotionally invested. And I like that feeling. So hopefully the ESL can bring back my passion for football

3. I'm sick of paying multiple telecommunications hundreds of dollars per month for sports coverage. The ESL can solve this issue by having its own network or partnering up with leading streaming companies such as Netflix, Hulu, or Disney. I do not mind for paying affordable streaming services. Currently, I'm subscribed to Netflix and Disney.

From a football fan perspective that does not reside in UK, I don't see any downside to the ESL. I notice that is a lot of talk of "English Pyramid", "Coaches jobs", "Stadium infrastructures investment", "UK tv rights", etc. Not to be insensitive, but none of those are a concern to global football fans that just want to watch the best players compete against each other in a convenient platform at bargain prices.

The stuff that excites me most about football:

1. Watching the best team which also means best players and managers competing against each other

2. Transfer market. Imagine trading Bruno Fernandes for Harry Kane. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think that is what us younger fans want to see. Shocking and exciting transfers. Changing team dynamics, etc

I think the ESL can provide an outstanding product. I will probably receive backlash for this post. But this is my geniune opinion, and I cannot wait for football to be exciting again. I want to be emotionally invested week in and week out, and that can only happen if the best players in terms of skills and branding are pitted against each other.

This says it all about them going after the 'global consumer' and makes me feel ill.

 

[GhastlyHun]

I can see both sides of the argument. This Super league stinks of greed. But I can also see the points others made that UEFA and FIFA are corrupt bastards too.

Of course they are, but we won't get rid of corruption and greed by throwing them out for an even more corrupt system, which doesn't even respect the fundamental sporting principle of merit.

 

[DWelbz19]

Steve Parish gave a good interview last night ( he will be at the meeting today) he discussed what will be on the agenda today. Fast forward to 7:50

Yeah, he came across quite well, really. I'm not surprised by his response - I think this whole thing in the media trying to push this idea that they're going to try and bin the big 6 is very silly. The league and the CL needs these clubs - which is why they've all gone in with an inflated ego and have decided to join this super league.

 

[Godfather]

Of course they are, but we won't get rid of corruption and greed by throwing them out for an even more corrupt system, which doesn't even respect the fundamental sporting principle of merit.

I agree with that.

 

[Lyricist]

I know there’s a lot of Corden fans on here...



Being serous though, he’s absolutely spot on

Very much spot on, indeed.

 

[Paxi]

Great to see this sort of solidarity between the supporters of these clubs. We have all been shafted.

As far as I’m concerned, football rivalry can take a back seat for as long it needs to. What those cnuts are doing, is literally going to affect all of in a very bad way. They’re trying to rip up the competitive nature and the possibility of teams like West Had or Leicester taking their spot.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

 

[matt10000]

I can see both sides of the argument. This Super league stinks of greed. But I can also see the points others made that UEFA and FIFA are corrupt bastards too.

So I'll reserve judgment until we see how all of this pans out.

Yes but creating a cartel is not the way forward. It has to be a pyramid based on merit from top to bottom so anyone can dream. Watford went through all of the leagues under G Tahlor and competed at the top. This has to be a dream for any club.

If this system had been introduced years ago we would still have the likes of Leeds, Forest, Villa, Sunderland, Wednesday and going back further Wolves, Bolton, Preston in a Euro super league, there would be no such thing as a sleeping giant because they could never fail.

 

[Random Task]

When has it not been? That's my point. We've decided to walk this path when we sold the club to American investors. Same goes for all those participating in the ESL. It's disgusting but the outcry comes too late.

You must have forgotten the green and gold campaign and the endless protesting in opposition to the Glazer takeover.

And it's never too late.

 

[carvajal]

Yeah we do care. The european cup is massive. Some of my most memeorable european nights and worse have been the european cup finals we have won and lost.

Converting their european cups to ESL trophies is embarrassing but it Perez. Apparently last night he was quoted as saying "if the younger generation find a football match too lon to watch, we will look at making football matches shorter". He's lost touch with reality. He's up for re-election soon right? Hope madrid fans vote him out.

He was re elected since there wasn't more candidates.
I think when he said that about the younger generations he referred to something said by Agnelli days before

 

[Mickeza]

That is a very good statement but it reads like there’s nothing they can do to stop it except appeal to the owner’s moral compass to withdraw...which let’s be honest doesn’t really exist.

 

[Oldyella]

The not so king has spoken, although big respect to Milner for having the balls to come out and say it.

Fair play to him, but it's a bit rich talking about fan behaviour given the welcome some teams have had in recent years at Anfield.

 

[MattofManchester]

This says it all about them going after the 'global consumer' and makes me feel ill.

I wouldn't say global. It's just more Americanisation at this stage. Breaking down tradition and culture in favour of corporate structures with no soul aiming to grasp those with minute attention spans.

 

[Smores]

This says it all about them going after the 'global consumer' and makes me feel ill.

i had to delete a length insulting post after reading that post

We've got a lot of great global fans and it's part of this club but seriously get fecked to any that want english football ripped up to make it more convenient or suited to the fact they don't really like football.