European Super League

[MichiganWolf]

I'm sure you've all seen the news, but essentially the world's most valuable clubs want to break away from Champions League and start their own Super League and play each other for lots of money. UEFA has said players that partake in this would be ineligible for official international competitions. Domestic leagues may threaten to banish clubs from domestic competition.

Clubs agreeing to join Super League - Arsenal, Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus

Just a side note, I think it is quite funny that this is being dubbed a Super League, but includes Tottenham, Arsenal, and AC Milan despite them being uncompetitive for their league's domestic title most years in the last decade.

I think this effort may fail but do believe it's inevitable in the long run. Many clubs in top flights are owned by people not from those countries. They don't have as close to a tie to the club's history, so they don't really care if they throw away traditions for the sake of money. And in the long run, the international fan bases of these clubs are going to outsize the number of domestic fans. So even if they alienate a few Brits, it won't matter as they'll be getting big money from the US and Chinese fans.

It's a sad day overall. I have been happy to see the fan response to this as an overwhelming majority hate it. The only people interested are the club owners, TV networks, and international bandwagon fans (I suppose there's some irony in my including them, but I am not in favor of the creation of this league).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56795811

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

I'm sure you've all seen the news, but essentially the world's most valuable clubs want to break away from Champions League and start their own Super League and play each other for lots of money. UEFA has said players that partake in this would be ineligible for official international competitions. Domestic leagues may threaten to banish clubs from domestic competition.

Clubs agreeing to join Super League - Arsenal, Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus

Just a side note, I think it is quite funny that this is being dubbed a Super League, but includes Tottenham, Arsenal, and AC Milan despite them being uncompetitive for their league's domestic title most years in the last decade.

I think this effort may fail but do believe it's inevitable in the long run. Many clubs in top flights are owned by people not from those countries. They don't have as close to a tie to the club's history, so they don't really care if they throw away traditions for the sake of money. And in the long run, the international fan bases of these clubs are going to outsize the number of domestic fans. So even if they alienate a few Brits, it won't matter as they'll be getting big money from the US and Chinese fans.

It's a sad day overall. I have been happy to see the fan response to this as an overwhelming majority hate it. The only people interested are the club owners, TV networks, and international bandwagon fans (I suppose there's some irony in my including them, but I am not in favor of the creation of this league).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56795811

This was inevitable once we let American owners in the door, the pursuit of profit, in excess, is always their ultimate aim. I don't think it will work this time around but despite any protests it will come to be eventually. For a large and continually increasing number of "fans" the game exists only in relation to their internet/media environment and is to them in a way just another computer game and an extension of their media "persona". They probably have never played the game, possibly never been to a game and have no desire to. These are the opinionated, shallow, hysterical media led sheep you see infesting nearly all of the message boards [ not ours thankfully] and other sports media outlets. It is these people who will eventually usher this new league in.

For me, let the clubs go. It will all end in tears anyway, watching the same teams week after week, no relegation, it will turn out to be dross.

Anyway "The Game" wont die anyway because it is much more than the premier league its the tens of thousands of ordinary people who are out there kicking there ball around every weekend.

Screw em!

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

This was inevitable once we let American owners in the door, the pursuit of profit, in excess, is always their ultimate aim. I don't think it will work this time around but despite any protests it will come to be eventually. For a large and continually increasing number of "fans" the game exists only in relation to their internet/media environment and is to them in a way just another computer game and an extension of their media "persona". They probably have never played the game, possibly never been to a game and have no desire to. These are the opinionated, shallow, hysterical media led sheep you see infesting nearly all of the message boards [ not ours thankfully] and other sports media outlets. It is these people who will eventually usher this new league in.

For me, let the clubs go. It will all end in tears anyway, watching the same teams week after week, no relegation, it will turn out to be dross.

Anyway "The Game" wont die anyway because it is much more than the premier league its the tens of thousands of ordinary people who are out there kicking there ball around every weekend.

Screw em!

Oh, and they can take their "Black Lives Matter" bull$hit with them as well!

[nortonwolf]

This was inevitable once we let American owners in the door, the pursuit of profit, in excess, is always their ultimate aim. I don't think it will work this time around but despite any protests it will come to be eventually. For a large and continually increasing number of "fans" the game exists only in relation to their internet/media environment and is to them in a way just another computer game and an extension of their media "persona". They probably have never played the game, possibly never been to a game and have no desire to. These are the opinionated, shallow, hysterical media led sheep you see infesting nearly all of the message boards [ not ours thankfully] and other sports media outlets. It is these people who will eventually usher this new league in.

For me, let the clubs go. It will all end in tears anyway, watching the same teams week after week, no relegation, it will turn out to be dross.

Anyway "The Game" wont die anyway because it is much more than the premier league its the tens of thousands of ordinary people who are out there kicking there ball around every weekend.

Screw em!

Actually I don't see this as inevitable at any point. UEFA, the paying fans and the majority of players don't want it... just the greedy owners. If it does happen then the players taking part will have to relinquish the right to play for their country, and the sides taking part may be kicked out of their respective leagues. As you say there will meagre entertainment in such a repetitive tournament structure, support will fall away quickly.

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Apparently there is no legal basis for UEFA to apply any kind of sanctions to any one signing up for this!

[MichiganWolf]

Our former manage Stale Solbakken with a hilarious take: “In recent years [Juventus] have been knocked out by Lyon, Porto and Ajax in the Champions League. Why the f*ck should they be in such a tournament then? Tottenham and Arsenal are currently, probably not, among the 20-30 best teams in Europe.”

[nortonwolf]

Our former manage Stale Solbakken with a hilarious take: “In recent years [Juventus] have been knocked out by Lyon, Porto and Ajax in the Champions League. Why the f*ck should they be in such a tournament then? Tottenham and Arsenal are currently, probably not, among the 20-30 best teams in Europe.”

Love it! Being part of the greed clique has nothing to do with being the best team.

Interesting that no German clubs are participating, by law a certain amount of German league clubs are owned by the fans, and the fans are opposed to it.

[Woking88]

Our former manage Stale Solbakken with a hilarious take: “In recent years [Juventus] have been knocked out by Lyon, Porto and Ajax in the Champions League. Why the f*ck should they be in such a tournament then? Tottenham and Arsenal are currently, probably not, among the 20-30 best teams in Europe.”

So very true!

[nortonwolf]

I've now read and heard interviews with Klopp and Guardiola opposing the new league, particularly impressed with what Guardiola said "It is not sport when the relation between effort and success doesn't exist". Wonder what their respective employers make of their statements?

[MichiganWolf]

Looks like Chelsea have filed paperwork to withdraw from the Super League. Think it's just a matter of time before it falls apart.

However, they got what they wanted with Champions League ensuring alot of the big money clubs are guaranteed a spot and bigger paydays.