Football (Soccer) Thread

[Sheilbh]

Johnson and Macron have also issued statements against. Johnson's said the government supports football authorities in taking action.

I would also note that football has been kindly treated by European competition authorities (the whole transfer market for example) - I hope it's made clear that that's on the basis of a national and international football pyramid having special community value

[Duque de Bragança]

Pérez and Agnelli vs Macron and Johnson? Wow

Makes sense for Arsenal, they are far from C1 level, a competition itself soon reformed to appease Top clubs and their customer bases.

[Sheilbh]

And the founders have all quit the European Club Association.

The powerlessness of fans - including of these clubs is what makes this so galling. I am personally in a full blown burn it to the ground and salt the earth mood - most people on my Twitter seem the same but it means nothing

[FunkMonk]

Thrusting an American model on European football does not seem like a good idea at all.

[FunkMonk]

If Manchester City and Manchester United get sanctioned by the Premier League will that mean that 3rd-placed Leicester win the League again?

[Sheilbh]

If Manchester City and Manchester United get sanctioned by the Premier League will that mean that 3rd-placed Leicester win the League again?

Or better yet - Moyes

[Jacob]

Are the new "Super League" clubs expecting to play in their regular leagues, cups, and UEFA/ Champions league games in addition to Super League games? Or is the purpose of this organization to get them out of those games? Because if they still expect to play in regular games, the easiest sanction would be to just ban them from that. Sure, they can play with their 11 to 15 other super-friends, but that's all they have. Let them sink or swim on their own.

Fans, of course, could stop following the offending clubs.

UEFA (esp. if backed by FIFA) could prevent players from Super League clubs from playing on their national teams.

[Jacob]

Ultimately, of course, it's about ensuring revenue growth, and/or a larger share of existing revenue at the expense of other clubs. So the best response by opposed parties are ones that will undermine existing revenue streams and make the projected Super Friends revenue streams seem less fantastic.

However, I'm guessing it's about pursuing international broadcasting and merchandising revenue - in China and elsewhere.

[Sheilbh]

Are the new "Super League" clubs expecting to play in their regular leagues, cups, and UEFA/ Champions league games in addition to Super League games? Or is the purpose of this organization to get them out of those games? Because if they still expect to play in regular games, the easiest sanction would be to just ban them from that. Sure, they can play with their 11 to 15 other super-friends.

I think they'd be out of the Champions League - this is the replacement. But still in regular leagues and domestic cups. There's talk of FIFA and UEFA banning players who are in these teams from playing in their competitions - so do players want to play in a World Cup or a Super League. But given that FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar I'm not sure I'll rely on them not being biddable.

Not sure about domestic leagues - there's lots of panicked talk in England of kicking the clubs out of the league structure but I don't think there's any chance of that happening. But a lot of this looks like "Project Big Picture" which was the same six English clubs basically taking over the Premier League (with Agnelli and Perez's own ideas too). From everything I've read relations between those six clubs and the rest of the league have broken down and the six clubs think the Premier League is over/incompetently run/has peaked. But I'd very much like it if they were basically removed from the domestic leagues and cups in England - told they either participate in the FA and the Premier League's competitions (which include the Champions League etc) or they do one

Fans, of course, could stop following the offending clubs.

Yeah - but I query how much of an impact that has, just looking at Newcastle or West Ham. The various fan groups in England have put out very strong statements - I imagine the same will happen everywhere else too. I think it's particularly frustrating that this is happening after a season when fans can't attend games (and the clubs cite the pandemic as a justification ).

I think the clubs are betting that whatever local fans they lose will be replaced by global fans who want to watch Juve v Liverpool v Milan forever. I generally have a lot of sympathy with international fans - and hate the hierarchy of fans that prioritises people who live in a certain area and earn enough to buy a season ticket. But I think that's the gamble.

Now I would say the reason those Champions League games get a big viewership is because they're rare - like a World Cup. Whereas if they're in this league with lots of games and play-offs they're not rare anymore and because there's no talk of a draft or a wage cap to equalise the competition there is going to be the same issue of a few clubs with even more resources than this lot dominating (chances are the ones backed by nation states, if PSG joins), there'll be a Super League Everton and a Super League West Brom. I give it a decade before we start hearing rumours of a hyper league

Edit: I would point out that in England most of these clubs are also the ones that took full advantage of covid support from the government (which I think is sort of legitimate) and often undertook restructuring with lots of redundancies (which isn't). I think they may have all underestimated the reaction which so far, here at least and I imagine everywhere else, has been extreme.

[FunkMonk]

This really sucks. Holy shit.

[Grey Fox]

I, obviously, like this idea. Go Free yourself from EUFA and the FA.

[Valmy]

It sounds like an American style Major League to me. Just big markets with no relegation.

[Sheilbh]

It sounds like an American style Major League to me. Just big markets with no relegation.

It is. No surprise that three of the English clubs who sort of tried this with the Premier League earlier this year are American (and I believe own teams in the US). Plus European football at the very top has an obsession with American sports because they make a lot more money out of them and there's no risk of them not getting that money by not qualifying for Champions League - in addition there's a particular focus on the NBA in the context of the emergence of fans of players rather than clubs.

The problem is football doesn't have any of the other things American sports have to try and level the playing field/keep it entertaining. So there's no salary caps and there's no draft etc.

[Valmy]

That is exactly why the NBA is my least favorite of the big four major leagues. When I hate NBA stars people keep acting like it is some kind of personal dislike. It is weird, nobody ever thinks me hating members of opposing teams in other leagues has anything to do with my opinion of their character. I hate Sid Crosby because he plays for a hockey club I have hated with all my black little heart for almost 30 years, not because I think he doesn't love his mother or something.

[celedhring]

And the founders have all quit the European Club Association.

The powerlessness of fans - including of these clubs is what makes this so galling. I am personally in a full blown burn it to the ground and salt the earth mood - most people on my Twitter seem the same but it means nothing

Our board has confirmed that our Superleague membership has to be approved by Barça members, which are fairly against it. But I suppose the board can play up the "pass this or we broke" card, like when Bartomeu managed to get stadium naming rights approved.

Anyway, I hope this shit DIAF.