Football (Soccer) Thread

[Grey Fox]

To be completely honest, I've come around on the super league. I want it to work out.

I'm tired of UEFA and FIFA. I'm tired of nation-states buying success. I'm tired of the English FA and PGMOL. We have a chance now to remake the world anew and I'm here for it.

Welcome to the correct side.

[Zoupa]

The Super League is definitely dead in England (I think). The visceral response from the teams' own fans made sure of that.

Without English teams, it'd make for a lame league at best, especially if PSG and Bayern Munich are still very opposed to it.

[Jacob]

A Super League is just more of what's already happening in the Champion's League. Barca v Real v PSG v City v Bayern v Juventus stamping on the human face forever.

It's why I wish Kobenhavn and PSV all the very best.

Yeah, the non-super clubs making runs is what makes the CL interesting IMO. The Super League would lower the chances for that - and it seems, make it impossible for non-status clubs to gain "permanent membership" in the top tier. That's complete garbage IMO.

If they completely cut the national leagues and their teams, then sure. Do your own European Football Franchise Organization or whatever, and leave the rest of the teams to compete in a classic system. Otherwise, if they want to stay connected with the rest of the teams then top tier-play should be earned every season rather than grandfathered in because this particular club is doing well right now.

It's also why my proposed solution to European football isn't a super-league but conferences - probably on North-South lines (not sure what to do with France) or East-West. So on one side you have the English and German teams but also the Baltics, Nordics, Benelux, Poland, Czechia etc; on the other Spanish and Italians but also Portuguese, Balkan etc. Chances are you'd still get an English/German v Spanish/Italian (and French wherever they fall) final - but there'd be the potential for more fun routes there and more of a possibility that a club from outside those leagues does a run. Plus multiple "finals" which should please UEFA

That sounds reasonable to me. The main thing I objected to with the Super League was the almost closed shop "protect our investment" organization that still wanted to benefit from the national leagues while relegating every other club to second tier status on a permanent basis. That is in my eyes antithetical to the heart of club football.

[Sheilbh]

The Super League is definitely dead in England (I think). The visceral response from the teams' own fans made sure of that.

Yeah. Also following that the government commissioned an independent review, it recommends a football regulator which the government has said they'll legislate for this year (whether they get it done before the election is another question, but it has cross-party support).  The government today issued a statement that the regulator will have the power to stop any clubs breaking away.

The threat of an independent regulator (according to conspiracy theories) partly explains the Everton points deduction. It was a last desperate attempt by football to show it could self-regulate.

[Tamas]

Ah cross-party support to protect UEFAs monopoly. It is truly heart-warming. The whole furor over the super league was vomit-inducing, all the high ideas spouted and clueless fans rallied by them to defend the disgusting cesspool that is UEFA.

[Gups]

Ah cross-party support to protect UEFAs monopoly. It is truly heart-warming. The whole furor over the super league was vomit-inducing, all the high ideas spouted and clueless fans rallied by them to defend the disgusting cesspool that is UEFA.

Yep. The super league will definately be a grass roots led organisation devoted to protecting the integrity of the game and the fans that actually go to matches and will be entirely uninterested in securing the income streams of billionaire club owners.

Seriously you guys should get into American sports if you don't like meritocracy and think its your club's god-given right to European big league football every season. Because the people who actually go to games sure as hell don't agree with you.

[Josquius]

Yep.
A European super league as a top level of football, with promotion and relegation with the domestic leagues, would in theory be great.
In practice of course pretty unworkable for a variety of reasons.

But a closed shop of the same top 20 every year... Pff.
I'm doubtful most fans would have the integrity to avoid it either - as that would be great.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I think someone gave the example of Girona (not a minnow - part of the City Group) who have been leading La Liga most of this year and are currently in second. My understanding is that even under the revised Super League plans they wouldn't actually play in the Super League until 2026/7 by which point you imagine a lot of the team that's been doing well will have moved on.

It's all about protectinng the incumbents - so they can still enjoy their privileges even if they experience a Todd Boehly sized disaster

[Admiral Yi]

It's all about protectinng the incumbents - so they can still enjoy their privileges even if they experience a Todd Boehly sized disaster

I don't see how privilege enters into it.  If the superleague draws richer ratings its either because of superior play or because of sex appeal/name recognition.  Both of those are attributes earned by the teams.

[Tamas]

Ah cross-party support to protect UEFAs monopoly. It is truly heart-warming. The whole furor over the super league was vomit-inducing, all the high ideas spouted and clueless fans rallied by them to defend the disgusting cesspool that is UEFA.

Yep. The super league will definately be a grass roots led organisation devoted to protecting the integrity of the game and the fans that actually go to matches and will be entirely uninterested in securing the income streams of billionaire club owners.

Seriously you guys should get into American sports if you don't like meritocracy and think its your club's god-given right to European big league football every season. Because the people who actually go to games sure as hell don't agree with you.

My point is that football (professional certainly) is a form of entertainment. Attaching various high ideas to it results in disgusting environments like all these high and mighty ideas being in UEFA's and FIFA's custody.

I am not pro-Super League. I am anti-UEFA. Like with every  commercial enterprise competition can only be good for their customers, the fans.

Also, you guys clearly missed the last announcement by this whatever TV company that's still bigly behind the Super League that they are planning an A and B league with something like 48 teams in total, with relegation and promotion, and free streaming of matches through their app.

Which I hope they manage to pull off because the hypocrisy of the fans crying out against it but still unable to resist Champions League - level matches available for free, will be delicious.

[Tamas]

It's all about protectinng the incumbents - so they can still enjoy their privileges even if they experience a Todd Boehly sized disaster

I don't see how privilege enters into it.  If the superleague draws richer ratings its either because of superior play or because of sex appeal/name recognition.  Both of those are attributes earned by the teams.

It is very important, even though the sport is absolutely proliferated with third world dictator-money to a ridiculous degree, that we maintain a facade of grassroots spirits where the plucky underdogs, players and teams, can rise from the amateur leagues to the first line without hindrance, because this is a NOBLE SPORT, and defo not a form of entertainment moving amounts of money simply unfathomable to the average person.

[Jacob]

If there's a scheme of relegation and promotion that is fair and proper then I don't have a problem with some sort of European level tier with frequent matches. It's the "the founding clubs will never be relegated" and "only a tiny number of non-founding clubs will be invited to join" thing that is vomit inducing.

[Sheilbh]

I don't see how privilege enters into it.  If the superleague draws richer ratings its either because of superior play or because of sex appeal/name recognition.  Both of those are attributes earned by the teams.

It's basically a closed shop of the top teams currently that is very difficult to break into or fall out of (relegation and promotion are seriously restricted). It's establishing the top teams at this point basically as an aristocracy.

It's freezing this moment in time and making it more or less permanent.

[HVC]

I don't see how privilege enters into it.  If the superleague draws richer ratings its either because of superior play or because of sex appeal/name recognition.  Both of those are attributes earned by the teams.

It's basically a closed shop of the top teams currently that is very difficult to break into or fall out of (relegation and promotion are seriously restricted). It's establishing the top teams at this point basically as an aristocracy.

It's freezing this moment in time and making it more or less permanent.

I think many casual or non soccer fans wouldn't see the issue with that. It's how it works here across the pond.

[HVC]

I just assume tamas' support is a roundabout way to try to get Russian money flowing back into his team