You started with that cheap shot but at least we both agree the super league is ****ed and shouldnt happen. I want that feeling of winning the UCL again not some manufactured super league
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Dortmund have just distanced themselves from the ESL and their boss said Bayern are on the same page, expect an announcement from them soon.
Also PSG supposedly just helped push through the new 36 team UCL format today, so they might also not be keen on ESL. That's another positive.
Spurs sacking Mourinho today is gonna be missed by everyone, well played Levy.
Just saw the Mourinho news.
I just don’t see how it goes ahead.
If the FIFA and UEFA threats are serious, they must have some legal motives behind them, and I can’t see managers, players and fans getting behind it to make it viable.
The general public over there must be unhappy with proposal. Would spark league wide protests. From a PR perspective it seems a nightmare.
They already discussed that "project big picture" thing last year, which didn't go well. Then they've tried this one, which I agree will fail, but eventually they'll get enough people to think UEFA and FIFA are the ones causing the issues at grass roots level and not a mix of those 2 and these shitty owners. Eventually they are bound to find enough support.
Interestingly someone at the FA put forward the idea of adopting the 50+1 ownership requirements like the Bundesliga. Supposedly garnered substantial support in any penalty the FA and UK government are going to discuss implementing on the breakaway teams, and the football pyramid in general.
Little bit of devils advocacy here, little bit of curiosity/lack of understanding the finer details. Not supporting it, just exploring it.
What’s stopping these clubs entering a private “exhibition” tournament, operated by a private company?
Seems a similar concept to the Champions Cup tours which had no qualification, were selected randomly by the private company operating it.
The main difference I can see is the timing and their proposed boycott of UCL and UEL.
I’m assuming their proposal is to have this played mid season, and at the expense of these clubs participation in UCL and UEL. Which I think is wrong.
Now, if clubs were able to participate in EPL, UCL and UEL and field competitive teams and not degrade these competitions. Would it be problem?
If the competition was played in the off season, is it a problem?
Who is going to be interested in another competition? And off season Mickey Mouse tournament?
I understand the kick in the teeth to history and going against the whole qualification process of our most successful competitions. But is there anything stopping these privately operated clubs entering a private tournament not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA etc.
Would fans support it enough to make it viable? I doubt it.
I could see it happening for a few years and support wouldn’t be there and a waste of time and money.
You lot realise this Super League has been happening for years in front of your faces right?
Every pre season teams go to Asia and America for these mini tournaments, they sell lots of tickets they get great govt kickbacks and sell extra TV rights.
They have been doing it for ages but now just want to formalise it mid season instead.
For every whinging Stretford well 'ard local having a moan at the moment there are hundreds of thousands of new customers in USA/China/India willing to fork over good money to watch their 'beloved' Man United play.
This aint about Stanny and his bi annual purchase of a new plastic flag, its about someone in Jakarta forking out for an Amazon TV package.
You people mean absolutely nothing to these clubs because there's always someone willing to take your place. Hate on it all you want but the irony of a bunch of blokes in Australia moaning about the globalization of football is laughable. If clubs should only care about locals you'd be 100% Jets and no one else.
You and your fandom from across the sea is what entices these owners to seek more of people like you.
Now, once again its probably just a leverage play to get more Champions League revenue and will go back in the box til negotiations are next due, but the inevitability of this should never be doubted.
To be fair id leave Roman out of the convo here on asshole owners, he actually looks like he just spends to win. The FSG/Kronke/Glazer cabal look like winning is a pleasant by product of making money. But seriously, **** those Juve crooks. What scum they seem to be.
To clarify my views, it's hard to be disgusted with what's been put forward without sounding like you are happy with the current situation or backing UEFA and FIFA, whom I think are turgid piles of excrement who are leeching off the game and selling it to the crooks of the world already. The FA don't actually give a shit about lower leagues either, they only care about losing the big 6 clubs from their product if this Super League takes off.
Also, you're correct that this won't go through Plagueis the not-so-wise (star wars reference), and it's just a bargaining chip during these new UCL expansion talks. More teams means less money for the teams in question, so they are trying to drive a big enough wedge in between fans and UEFA so that they can somehow take over control of the major European competition, whether now or in the future.
Realistically, all they actually needed to do is expand the UEL and UEL conference to include more teams (looks like your helping the small clubs) whilst shrinking the UCL and turn it into a touring gig like you and Brem mentioned about pre season games. 20 team comp and make it coefficient based more instead of qualified for. Top 16 coefficients + the last 4 of the Europa League from the year before. Two groups of 10 play a mid week league, top 4 from each go into finals. Top 16 right now would be Bayern, Real, Barca, City, Juve, Atletico, PSG, United, Liverpool, Sevilla, Arsenal, Chelsea, Dortmund, Tottenham, Porto and Roma. Effectively you trick people into thinking you're allowing promotion but make it extremely hard to do so, cause every point in the top league would be worth 3 in the lower league which increases the top teams coefficients.
Also, this whole BHUHHHH ARSENAL ARE 16TH WHAT MAKES THEM SUPER? take is silly.
Super refers to revenue and marketability. Nothing else.
Also, its been funny seeing the same assholes who were more than happy to see people censored during the US election "BUUH JUST START YOUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY" are now very much against the free market flexing on them.
Where are their tweets telling West Ham and Betis to form their own Super League?
Hol up.
What's happening isn't exactly what you are implying here. These clubs aren't fully breaking away. They want to stay in the premier league and enjoy feeding off that plate as well as their own Super league buffet. If they want to split completely, or get booted, I'm totally fine with this. This can be something different to normal football, they can even change the rules to whatever they want, and the regular leagues can cling on for a few years, drop the spending down to suit whatever tv deal they get and there will be two separate games to watch. I would love that, even if there's absolutely zero chance of any of it happening. The league will fold and football will never be the same once this goes through.
No, what im saying is that if these clubs want a Super League then cool.
If the Prem wants to kick them out then cool.
If UEFA bans them from ECL and players from Europe then cool.
If FIFA bans them from world cups then cool.
I just want everyone to understand what the rules are and accept that they have to be consistent.
Again though we both agree it won't happen.
Here comes the inevitable implosion of the SL.
But what happens next is gonna be very very interesting.
So England plans to introduce government laws to prevent it.
Don’t FIFA have a thing about governments interfering with the game? Or do they turn a blind eye when it aligns with their needs?
Very curious to see who holds their nerve the longest. Has to be Man U and the yanks running LFC for the EPL.
Curious what the managers and players think. Can’t imagine Klopp loving the idea, can’t see Spurs attracting a new manager anytime soon with their interest, seems like something any sensible players should should be boycotting too.
Liverpool have just pulled out too. Statement reads "Liverpool Football Club can confirm that our involvement in proposed plans to form a European Super League has been discontinued.
In recent days, the club has received representations from various key stakeholders, both internally and externally, and we would like to thank them for their valuable contributions."
The Liverpool squad publicly shared they would not participate.
Regardless of this, the owners of all these clubs have been tarnished because of their decision.
City are friends with Ceferin of UEFA, they left first and Chelsea went at basically the same time. The other 4 then had a discussion and shat themselves before leaving. Liverpool, Spuds and Arsenal are officially leaving as I write this. So they obviously are all running back with their tails between their legs.
Arsenal's statement went like this.
Quote:
It was never our intention to cause such distress, however when the invitation to join the Super League came, while knowing there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to ensure we protected Arsenal and its future.
Lol, how pitiful does that sound. We only did it because we didn't want to be left behind, mate we are already being left behind by your shitty decisions and the disgusting owner that we've hated since the day he bought us out.
Chelsea getting praised as the 1st club to pull our of the ESL. Feels weird. Hopefully we smash Madrid next week but we shouldn't forget when almost happened this week
Are you still ok with Roman owning your club?
Cause I want all 6 owners to be forced to sell asap, especially Kroenke the leech. They all don't deserve the privilege that owning a premier league club brings IMO. Glazers look like they'll sell up next year and FSG look like they won't be allowed to keep Liverpool by the reaction of their main fanbase and people involved with the club. This could be a watershed moment for world football if this keeps going and ends with everyone taking on UEFA and FIFA and does something about the level of corruption within the game.
The contract they all signed was 171 pages long and JP Morgan needed assurances from each club before getting on board. Roman and the others knew what they were doing for months.
It just seems to be that the wealthiest clubs pulled out first because they didn't actually need the money (City and Chelsea) and then it went down the list (Liverpool, Arsenal, United, Spurs, Inter) from best financial position to least. Juve, Barca and Real are drowning in debt and will cling to this until the very last.
Why? I can understand Stanny's obvious bias. But show me one reason why Roman isn't as grubby as that lot?
At least Mansour has poured millions into the community to rebuild a community fanbase. But even they don't get a free pass because their wealth is tainted with blood and oil, Manchester fans would happily forget about them if someone else could pay the bills moving forward.
For me its simple.
Roman has never come across as anything other than an ill tempered ruthless oligarch whos money has come from ill gotten gains and has no interest in anything other than winning no matter the cost.
I admire his openness in a world of frauds.
Its the scum like the Glazers/Perez/Agnelli etc who have continually tried to convince people that they are doing all this for 'you' the little people.
That sort of behaviour gets zero interest from me.
This Perez has mental issues. 40 people protesting at the Chelsea game hahaha.
There was about 200, so he wasn't too far off, Not that he isn't an massive tool tho. 200 is still a decent number considering how quickly they organised it and with Covid restrictions still on place in England.
SB nation reported that there was thousands in attendance and looked like fools when the pictures came out.
Roman is exactly the same as the others, he just did his PR tour in the 00s and maybe you can relate to it more than the new stuff.
He has no concept of money because he didn't earn a cent of his, so he throws enough of it around and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Same as Perez, the Glazers and Agnelli.
Hey you rank your assholes how you like them, ill do mine!!!
I refuse to lump him in with any of these suckers that either a)doubled down like Perez and Agnelli, or b)did the grovelling video apology like Henry.
Also, I dont think he gets enough credit for how well Chelsea is actually run compared to some others. The fact the club isn't leveraged to the hilt and still made a real profit last year is good for them. For sure he runs it a different way relying on player sales and his own investment, but the other owners have heaps of money too but always seem to be much more at arms length with their liabilities which is savvy but scary.
Also, don't anyone @ me with your financial bullshit unless it comes from Swiss Ramble. They are the only source of correct info regarding football finance. I dont wish to hear anything else.
To be fair though its pretty safe to say Roman has had way more people killed than any other owner id bet good money on that.
And the difference is Roman is actually a football fan the others just Want to make money
Gulp down that Koolaid Stanny. You can share some with Plague's mate now as well, lol.
Here is the Arsenal protest.
https://streamable.com/86ybg6
This was supposedly a few hundred supporters, seems like a lot more from the footage. Wouldn't be surprised if our PR team, who are some of the best, haven't got the media outlets to downplay that number dramatically.
Also for context on our PR team, Mikel Arteta is still beng labelled as a managerial genius in Pep's mould when his team have scored 19 goals in 17 home games with a record of 6 wins, 4 draws and 7 losses in those games. Our PR team is absolutely world class, one of the very few things at our club that are nowadays.
UK Premier League?