Obviously going to happen. fecking joke.
Saudi Arabia FA interested in joining UEFA Champions League (Bloomberg)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Not surprising at all…but you do begin to question what has happened to football.
The constant money chat and ever increasing transfers is a huge turn off for me.
The constant money chat and ever increasing transfers is a huge turn off for me.
Not a fan of this but if the league continues to get stronger, there will come a time where seeing them competing against the best would make sense.
The logistics would likely be a nightmare but I always thought some sort of global club competition would be great. I enjoy seeing European clubs compete with South American clubs at the Club World Cup, for example.
The logistics would likely be a nightmare but I always thought some sort of global club competition would be great. I enjoy seeing European clubs compete with South American clubs at the Club World Cup, for example.
Which again is irrelevant to this thread and the ECA is the clubs which is why their executives are clubs executives. But again how is that relevant to this thread?
Offer them a spot in the women's champions league first instead.
Union of EUROPEAN Football Associations...
Because UEFA will consulate their members on this idea via the ECA. Its not a difficult concept to grasp.
I think so but then shouldn’t be allowed to enter UCL. I do not think the geography should be a barrier nowadays, after all travelling to Ankara, Tbilisi, Nicosia etc is not much further than to Jeddah. However, if they want to enter UCL it should be like for every new country that enters, lobby the other countries to get 2/3 of votes to enter UEFA, then start from the bottom as Gibraltar or Kosovo recently did.
Just getting a ‘guest’ place is essentially just buying their place in UCL. At that stage, bring the Superleague and feck UEFA. It shouldn’t be pay to win.
Yeah, I think that's reasonable. The Saudis probably wouldn't like it though.
Yep.
Although it could be a huge bonus to United. I think the really top players at top sides won’t leave and that’s a lot of talent available from over there that we may not have been in position to sign if they played for our rivals. I’d be shocked if Liverpool aren’t in Laportes ear for a move next summer and I’d be even more shocked if these players didn’t include clauses in their contracts.
Because they can't play in the leagues with the Saudi teams because the Saudis want to murder them.
U€FA...
Gottem
Gottem
I said it would be hypocrisy if Uefa denied Saudi Arabian teams the chance to participate in the Champions League but allowed Israeli teams. It would be natural to deduce that in order for Saudi Arabian teams to participate they would have to join Uefa. If Uefa denied that application then it would be hypocrisy.
You realise Saudi has recognised Israel and wants to open a embassy in israel?
EUROS
Obviously it’s all open to interpretation, but even under the broadest definition I struggle to see how any part of Cyprus and Armenia are geographically Europe.
An guest invite? Fifa does something similar with Copa America since 1993 and invites nations such as japan etc.
And I asked you how you came to that conclusion when Saudi Arabia isn't a member of the UEFA while Israel is. I could understand your point if Israel were members of an other confederation but they are not.
You are essentially claiming that two entities that are in different situations should be considered similarly otherwise we are in presence of hypocrisy which makes no sense. Saudi Arabia can apply to join the UEFA, if they are accepted as members then their teams can be treated like Israel's.
Predictable outcome.
Imo letting Australia into Eurovision was like opening pandora box. Shame on all of those who didn't condemn at the time.
Imo letting Australia into Eurovision was like opening pandora box. Shame on all of those who didn't condemn at the time.
Christ, imagine the away games. Playing away in London or Brighton, playing a cup game at home, before then having to fly to Riyadh in the same week.
Absolute no to this. Football is stupid enough already without making it worse.
Absolute no to this. Football is stupid enough already without making it worse.
Am I the only person who doesn’t really care. Football sold its soul decades ago, I can’t see how this is the biggest issue. I’d rather see football clamp down on cheating I.e chelsea or City than care about this kind of thing.
The Israel situation is not remotely comparable.
They were literally excluded from competing with the other Asian nations, with Saudi Arabia being one of the nations responsible for their exclusion.
They ended up playing with New Zealand in the O.F.C. qualifiers before UEFA eventually granted them membership.
They didn't just buy their way in.
Two questions come to mind.
A) If this goes through, might this push the established top clubs to attempt a sensibly designed super league I.E one with no guaranteed placements in it?
B) Does anyone think that this may have been whispered in the ear of the players who have been signing on there? I know the money is the primary reason for them going over but I do wonder if they pitched to the players that they are likely to be in the CL in a couple years?
A) If this goes through, might this push the established top clubs to attempt a sensibly designed super league I.E one with no guaranteed placements in it?
B) Does anyone think that this may have been whispered in the ear of the players who have been signing on there? I know the money is the primary reason for them going over but I do wonder if they pitched to the players that they are likely to be in the CL in a couple years?
Agreed, City's financial doping and outstanding 115 financial charges much more pressing personally.
Nothing against a worldwide Champions League, but the time differences would not be manageable
I generally don't mind new things, inviting teams from other confederations could be interesting especially if we can see some South American teams.
I have no problem with countries wishing to develop their own domestic leagues but I don’t like trying to buy access and take advantage of the work of others. If Saudi wishes to develop their competition and their regional championships then that would benefit football as a whole.
But just going building it is too hard and those guys look successful so we’ll buy our way in isn’t something I get enthusiastic about.
But just going building it is too hard and those guys look successful so we’ll buy our way in isn’t something I get enthusiastic about.
I agree that the basic idea of that has some merit.
However, how does any club fit that in alongside their domestic league, domestic cups, European commitments, plus the same players playing for their national sides in competitions and friendlies?
I don't see how that's physically possible with the way the calendar currently exists.
And have Newcastle to fcuk the EPL aswell. Honestly what these guys are doing is much smarter than what Qatar did/spent on PSG. With golf as precident they have a foot in the door.
If they pull this off that would be something.
But Newcastle have already qualified.
Time to disband Football and Eurovision.
They aren’t, as far as any geographic definition I know of.
Edited and yes I agree.
There’s already non European teams in it though
Armenia is considered a transcontinental country. Cyprus is literally part of the European Union for 20 years now.
The biggest issue is how do you manage the travel times, time zones etc and fit all of that into the existing calendar. It’s basically not workable in the current model.
Who didn’t see this coming though?
It’ll probably happen too because they’ll just buy their way in even if they have to do it via brown envelopes. But they should be told where to go. It’s a European cup competition, it’s not a world competition, so allowing any of them in would be absolute farce.
It’ll probably happen too because they’ll just buy their way in even if they have to do it via brown envelopes. But they should be told where to go. It’s a European cup competition, it’s not a world competition, so allowing any of them in would be absolute farce.
On a side note. This year the Heineken Champions Cup( the Rugby equivalent of the CL) welcomed South African teams after the "dissolution" of Super Rugby. And it has been a nice addition.
It really isn't workable at all. You're looking at around 9 hours+ for a journey from Manchester to Riydah. And then back. That's a day lost just for travel.
I hate this idea. I already think it's stupid the way clubs go jetting across the world for preseason anyway, without throwing a competitive element into that...in the middle of a football season.
And, sadly, nothing will be done about that either. Football has completely gone.