European Super League

[tintin25]

Given the backlash already I honestly don't see this going ahead.  I genuinely would have zero interest in watching a european super league.

[gawa316]

Klopp will be getting some grilling tomorrow after the game no matter the result. Be interesting to hear his views after what he said in 2019

[shark]

Klopp will be getting some grilling tomorrow after the game no matter the result. Be interesting to hear his views after what he said in 2019

I'm sure his views will be no different. Whether he expresses them or not is his call. This isn't his doing. It's not on the managers of these clubs. Or the fans. There is no chance that any manager was sitting around their laptops for these zoom calls. It's all on the owners.

[Rich Ricci]

Klopp will be getting some grilling tomorrow after the game no matter the result. Be interesting to hear his views after what he said in 2019

I'm sure his views will be no different. Whether he expresses them or not is his call. This isn't his doing. It's not on the managers of these clubs. Or the fans. There is no chance that any manager was sitting around their laptops for these zoom calls. It's all on the owners.

Exactly. When Joel Glazer is vice chairman it tells you all you need to know about the motives for this shit show.

[Taylor]

So this is to replace the CL then.

Biggest issue is obviously these 12 teams (+3) guaranteed entry every year.

Everything else will remain the same.

SKY/BT will be banging the drum loudly about how its hurting the other clubs/supporters/integrity etc when in reality they dont give a flying f**k.
Sky started all of this in the early 90's

[shark]

So this is to replace the CL then.

Biggest issue is obviously these 12 teams (+3) guaranteed entry every year.

Everything else will remain the same.

SKY/BT will be banging the drum loudly about how its hurting the other clubs/supporters/integrity etc when in reality they dont give a flying f**k.
Sky started all of this in the early 90's

And that is their motivation for the whole thing - at least from the perspective of the English 6. These owners have build their business models on being in Champions League every season. They have seen what has happened with Arsenal. They were in it every year. Now they are out (although they could qualify via Europa this season) and don't look like getting back in the top 4 any time soon. They see the likes of Everton and Villa with super wealthy owners now and are scared shitless than the 4 places will be diced up even thinner. FFP was supposed to protect them (despite what it said it's actual aims were) and has indeed slowed down these aspiring clubs. But it won't hold them back forever. Clubs rise and fall. That's how it should be.
These owners want to ensure that they can never fall again.

[gallsman]

So much faux outrage over this from fans. They'll still watch and fork out whatever insane subscription fee is required to do so on DAZN or whatever and they'll still buy season tickets and the stadia will all be full. Until fans actually start voting with their wallets, no meaningful change will ever happen. Look at the state of so many Newcastle fans and prominent Newcastle journalists trying to argue that there's absolutely nothing wrong with MBS buying the club.

Perhaps United fans can buy some green and gold scarves again?

[Hoof Hearted]

Klopp will be getting some grilling tomorrow after the game no matter the result. Be interesting to hear his views after what he said in 2019

He'll be German manager by that time so he won't give a f**k

[shark]

So much faux outrage over this from fans. They'll still watch and fork out whatever insane subscription fee is required to do so on DAZN or whatever and they'll still buy season tickets and the stadia will all be full. Until fans actually start voting with their wallets, no meaningful change will ever happen. Look at the state of so many Newcastle fans and prominent Newcastle journalists trying to argue that there's absolutely nothing wrong with MBS buying the club.

Perhaps United fans can buy some green and gold scarves again?

Fans don't want change. They want things to stay the way they are. The model where we can see 3rd tier Leicester City competing in the last 16 of the European Cup within 6 years.

[Milltown Row2]

As Nicky asked the ex chairman of Man City today on the radio, if City are playing Real Madrid in the final of this cup will you watch it or Master chef on the other channel. Of course, the chairman lied and said he'd be watching master chef.

It'll be hyped up to f**k and everyone will tune in, its just the game evolving and this was always going to happen at some level.

[Hound]

Going to be fascinating to see what happens next.

Not sure I'd be dismissing this as just a negotiating tactic, as we're a very long way through the negotiations and UEFA have already made concessions. 

This idea/threat has been put to UEFA many months ago as a negotiating tactic. This has resulted in UEFA changing the format of the Champions League (expected to be formally announced today), where there are 2 backdoor slots for big clubs. So Liverpool could finish 5th in the league and get a backdoor slot (Arsenal, Spurs and maybe Juve could all be looking for such slots though).

It's going to need Premier League approval to get off the ground. As Gary Neville said this morning, how can the other clubs approve this, when by doing so you are guaranteeing the Big 6 an extra £100m a year (maybe £300m a year) so that would surely mean they would lock in those top six positions for ever more?

Is the next negotiating tactic that if the Premier League doesn't approve it, the big 6 will threaten to join the Super League full time rather than just midweek?

[johnnycool]

Going to be fascinating to see what happens next.

Not sure I'd be dismissing this as just a negotiating tactic, as we're a very long way through the negotiations and UEFA have already made concessions. 

This idea/threat has been put to UEFA many months ago as a negotiating tactic. This has resulted in UEFA changing the format of the Champions League (expected to be formally announced today), where there are 2 backdoor slots for big clubs. So Liverpool could finish 5th in the league and get a backdoor slot (Arsenal, Spurs and maybe Juve could all be looking for such slots though).

It's going to need Premier League approval to get off the ground. As Gary Neville said this morning, how can the other clubs approve this, when by doing so you are guaranteeing the Big 6 an extra £100m a year (maybe £300m a year) so that would surely mean they would lock in those top six positions for ever more?

Is the next negotiating tactic that if the Premier League doesn't approve it, the big 6 will threaten to join the Super League full time rather than just midweek?

The various FA's, UEFA and FIFA could scupper this in one fair swoop.
Play in this league and you're banned from all other sanctioned football leagues and tournaments, World cups and all.

The players would have to think long and hard about that one.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

Have to laugh at the fake hysteria. The same people making excuses for the premier league being the exact same thing as it was pre 1992 but only being rebranded, are the same people that claim Liverpool have only won the league once.
You couldn't make it up. Hypocrites. According to them, the "Premier League" is fine, but a big no no to the European super league.
The games gone

[Louther]

Football needed change but not in this direction.

It's no surprise really that the owners are chasing the $$$. The yank owners are all capitalist hedge fund and investment bankers. The Spanish clubs are in debt up to their earlobes and only know one way - spend and get bailed out, this is the latest bail out for them. Italian clubs are been left behind and rely on owner investment to keep them afloat. They can't compete with oil money, so they all onboard for this. Oil money - they see clubs as commodities and looking a return on their investment.

The change that was needed was inward - less games, return to traditions, less spending, less influence of agents, less influence of PPV TV, less corruption at UEFA/FIFA level.  This will increase all of this. Fans have long since been down the food chain. The game in the pandemic without fans is a diluted version of its former self.

You do need to look past the very hyped Sky agenda on this and the risk to their power base in the premier league. They will be very anti this. But I think the reasoning of Neville yesterday was instinctive and hit the Mark.

All fan groups in England seem against it. For United it's going to take more than scarves to impose their will on this for change. Liverpool fans in the past have acted and got some luck on changing owners decisions but this one seems to have moved on basis of ignoring them. City, Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea - have never seen them having to confront owners in a meaningful way.

No idea how this is been taken by fans in the continent. That would be interesting as their support base can be very volatile and can split into different factions.

It will be a horrible move to go this way. And it would only be the start. You'd see more teams invited to join in a second tier and domestic leagues left behind altogether once it up and running. 

I'm sure Klopp be asked on this tonight and it could set the tone for other managers. I expect it'll be "I manage and play football....owners make those decisions....I only had thoughts on tonight's game" but he does seem to be the type to give his opinion when asked. Players the same? Will they break ranks and voice an opinion?

Plenty of legs in this yet.

[seafoid]

 https://www.ft.com/content/4cbef20a-7599-4580-82aa-2af383bd0f5a

leading clubs wanted to be given greater assurances over a joint venture that would control all media and sponsorship rights for European club competitions.

The declaration about the Super League was designed to head off an alternative plan for a radical transformation of the Champions League, which is run by Uefa.

Uefa said it was united with Europe's top leagues, national governing bodies and Fifa in "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".

It added that it would consider "all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening".