Football (Soccer) Thread

[Sheilbh]

Are you guys following the drama in the Turkish league? The president of Ankaragücü (a top division club) punched a ref in the face during a match, with his staff kicking the man after he fell down. The league suspended matches for a week and "something" is apparently going to be done.

Apparently he's been arrested for assaulting a public official which I did not know included referees.

Although his explanation was pretty wild: "my aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face. The slap I gave would not cause a fracture. After my slap, the referee threw himself on the ground. They immediately removed me from the scene because I have a heart condition"

I think he's now taking a more contrite approach.

[Duque de Bragança]

So FC Copenhagen is going to play one of the following teams:

• Arsenal
• Real Madrid
• Real Sociedad
• Atlético Madrid
• Dortmund
• Manchester City
• FC Barcelona

I like our chances 

Pray/sacrifice to Odin to get Barça. 

[FunkMonk]

City dropped points to Crystal Palace. Looking increasingly likely that they won't be making it four PL titles in a row.

So that leaves Liverpool and Arsenal as the next most likely teams.

I am going to feel so, so bad when Liverpool win it this season          

[Sheilbh]

Game abandoned between Bournemouth and Luton after the Luton captain had a cardiac arrest. Apparently he's in hospital, responsive and doing well (as can be expected now). But absolutely horrible.

More frivolously, according to one of those stats accounts, Everton have won four games in a row without conceding a goal for the first time since 2002 - in David Moyes first season

[Josephus]

I am going to feel so, so bad when Liverpool win it this season          

As a Liverpool fan, I can assure you, they will blow it.

[FunkMonk]

More frivolously, according to one of those stats accounts, Everton have won four games in a row without conceding a goal for the first time since 2002 - in David Moyes first season

[Josquius]

Game abandoned between Bournemouth and Luton after the Luton captain had a cardiac arrest. Apparently he's in hospital, responsive and doing well (as can be expected now). But absolutely horrible.

:

Is it just me or does this seem to happen somewhat frequently at top levels?
It's probably just the publicity high level football gets. But you don't hear about this sort of thing much in cricket or even lower down the leagues.
A good 3 or 4 high level examples in the past decade though.

[Sheilbh]

Is it just me or does this seem to happen somewhat frequently at top levels!
It's probably just the publicity high level football gets. But you don't hear about this sort of thing much in cricket or even lower down the leagues.
A good 3 or 4 high level examples in the past decade though.

Yes - that's actually something of a meme among anti-vaxx circles. "What is causing these very healthy young men to collapse/have cardiac arrests?"

In this case he had to be stretchered off at the playoffs last year for heart surgery. That this has happened again suggests, sadly, that he might need to retire.

Apparently there was a study done a few years ago that showed actually high level athletes are more at risk than expected.

[Sheilbh]

So FC Copenhagen is going to play one of the following teams:

• Arsenal
• Real Madrid
• Real Sociedad
• Atlético Madrid
• Dortmund
• Manchester City
• FC Barcelona

I like our chances 

City

They seem to be having more than Pep's usual winter funk....but I also trust them to work out a solution...

[Sheilbh]

Slightly tied to the above post I have seen City fans online suggesting that their first game after the Club World Championship in Saudi is against Dyche's Everton which might not be idea.

Hope it snows.

[Jacob]

City

They're no Bayern Munich....

[Syt]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67783970

European Super League: Uefa and Fifa rules banning breakaway league unlawful, says court

Banning clubs from joining a European Super League was unlawful and Uefa and Fifa are "abusing a dominant position", the European Court of Justice has said.

It comes after a case was brought by the ESL and its backers claiming Uefa and Fifa were breaking competition law by threatening to sanction those who joined the breakaway league.

Europe's highest court found against the governing bodies.

It added that did not mean a breakaway league would "necessarily be approved".

On a hugely significant day for European football:

- Uefa said it was "confident in the robustness" of rules
- ESL backers A22 released revamped proposals
- Real Madrid said clubs were "masters of their own destiny"
- La Liga referred to the ESL as a "selfish and elitist model"

An initial report released last December by the ECJ said the rules of football's European and world governing bodies were "compatible with EU competition law".

The verdict will be seen as a blow to the authority of Uefa and Fifa and how they govern the game.

Uefa said it was "confident in the robustness" of rules it has brought in since the ESL was first proposed, and that it would "comply with all relevant European laws and regulations".

It added it trusted football's existing set-up would be "safeguarded against the threat of breakaways by European and national laws".

Barcelona - one of the initial 12 clubs to agree to the ESL - said the verdict "paved the way for a new competition".

And ESL backers A22 then released revamped proposals, which this time include a women's European tournament.

The plan would feature a league system with 64 clubs across three leagues in the men's competition, and 32 clubs across two leagues in the women's competition. Both would involve promotion and relegation.

The ESL had initially been intended to be a midweek competition consisting of two groups of 10 teams, followed by a play-off phase.

Anger grew when details emerged that the 12 founding clubs would never have to forfeit their places in the league, locking out all but five other clubs across the whole of Europe in the process, once another three founding clubs had been confirmed.

Fans protested that the ESL would be detrimental to leagues across Europe and that greed was the driving factor for clubs joining, with no consideration for supporters.

The report said that when new competitions are "potentially entering the market" Fifa and Uefa must ensure their powers are "transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate".

The report added: "However, the powers of Fifa and Uefa are not subject to any such criteria. Fifa and Uefa are, therefore, abusing a dominant position.

"Moreover, given their arbitrary nature, their rules on approval, control and sanctions must be held to be unjustified restrictions on the freedom to provide services.

"That does not mean that a competition such as the Super League project must necessarily be approved. The Court does not rule on that specific project in its judgment."

Bernd Reichart, chief executive of A22, wrote on X - formerly Twitter - that the ESL "have won the right to exist".

He added: "Uefa's monopoly is over. Football is free. Clubs are now free from the threat of sanctions and free to determine their own future.

"For fans: we offer free broadcasting of all Superleague matches. For clubs: Income and solidarity expenses will be guaranteed."

The ESL saga began in April 2021 when news broke that 12 teams - including English teams Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - had signed up to the breakaway competition.

There was widespread fury and condemnation from fans, other European leagues and even government, leading to the collapse of the plans within 72 hours.

The six Premier League clubs plus Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan were fined by Uefa, but action against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus was halted during the legal process, although Juventus signalled their intention to quit the project in July.

The ESL has not been scrapped completely, however, with Real Madrid and Barcelona remaining interested in pursuing the venture.

Real welcomed the ruling, saying clubs will now be the "masters of their own destiny".

"It is a great day for the history of football and for the history of sports," a statement added.

Meanwhile, Spain's La Liga said European football had "spoken".

The statement said: "Today, more than ever, we reiterate that the "Super League" is a selfish and elitist model.

"Anything that is not fully open, with direct access only through the domestic leagues, season by season, is a closed format."

No-one expected this judgement to be so powerful
Analysis from Simon Stone, BBC Sport

This judgement is a massive blow to Uefa and Fifa and their authority to govern the game.

The wording of the ruling from the 15-strong Grand Chamber is damning.

It says their structures mean there is no way of checking whether their operations are 'transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate'.

It says the rules around commercial rights are anti-competitive.

This does not mean a European Super League is coming. For the English clubs in particular a lot of bad blood was created by the ill-fated launch of the project in 2021. Unpicking that, certainly in the short-term, will not be easy.

However, those who have pushed the project now know they can go away and speak to who they want, when they want, about a vision for European football that suits them, and Uefa and Fifa will have to work with them or risk losing their power.

No-one, including Uefa and Fifa, expected this judgement to be so powerful.

The ramifications will be felt for a long time to come.

[Syt]

Some call this already bigger than the Bosman ruling in the 90s.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I think that's fair - although the Bosman ruling didn't really have much of an impact in practice. Not sure if the same will apply here.

To be honest I thought there were literal carve-outs from competition (and employment) law for football/professional sports. Because the CJEU's obviously right on an analysis of competition law. But I'd query if that is the correct approach to take to sport.

[Syt]

Yeah I think that's fair - although the Bosman ruling didn't really have much of an impact in practice. Not sure if the same will apply here.

Dunno, getting rid of end of contract transfer fees and ruling that leagues couldn't regulate the number of (EU) foreigners on teams because they violated free movement of labor was pretty big, esp. after the EU expanded significantly in 2004. Made room for more non-EU players (South America, Africa, Asia ... ) and IMO changed squad compositions quite a bit.