It Could Get A Bit Messi In Here - The Football Thread.

It's a terrible idea and staggeringly arrogant and I really hope it doesn't happen but I'd feel worse about it if FIFA, UEFA, The PL, and all the rest of them weren't already so completely corrupt. FIFA took a backhander, awarded the WC to a country that is a thousand degrees hot and then stood by and did nothing while hundreds of immigrant workers died building the stadiums. The statements about sporting integrity from these organisations is rank hypocrisy. They invited the billionaires in, they created the market and now the market is eating them. Fuck 'em.
 
wokeupnew said:
The ESL probably thought there would be some backlash, but this is beyond anything they could have imagined. This is universally being shot down and protested by everyone. Spain, France and UK governments are going to change the EU law and UK law to prevent this kind of league. I don't know if they bargained for something like that happening. Hopefully, hopefully, it's just a bluff for some UEFA changes that the major clubs want. That would be a best case scenario.
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EU law (of which the UK is now divorced from anyway) isn't going to change to stop this.
 
This Brian Phillips article raises good points, including how conflicting it feels to be on FIFA’s side (when they’re evil incarnate) and the futility of the proposed World Cup ban. Most players would absolutely choose their paychecks over playing in a WC every 4 years, IMO. As much as I love the WC (which is more of a character flaw of my part than a rational position), I think nowadays many younger fans and players value the UCL more, and the ESL aims to replace just that.

And yes, I think to non-casual soccer fans the most insulting part of the ESL proposal is the elimination of relegation and promotion for the founding clubs. Many Americans don’t get it because this is not a feature in US sports leagues, but this feature is basically sacred when it comes to world soccer.

Fuck everything, I should just go buy a Leicester City jersey and pretend we’re still living in that magical one-year stretch from when they barely escaped relegation to lifting the EPL trophy the very next spring.
 
Respect to Pep for speaking the truth, albeit in a guarded way: "It's not sport when there is no relation between effort and success, it's not sport. It's not sport if it doesn't matter if you lose. I've said many times I want the best competition as possible. It's not fair if teams fight at the top and cannot qualify."

@bettim84: Thanks for that Brian Phillips article. I wish I shared his cynicism about the Super League actually happening. BUT the shade thrown at Tottenham throughout is pretty great.

Yhe argument that I struggle with is the excitement of watching, say, Liverpool vs. Barcelona four times a year. For me, the reason those matches are so massive is because they are not four times a year. When they do happen they are more of an intriguing novelty and generally has more significance.

Anyway, you know this is making waves when my 75 year old father (whose exposure to soccer never expanded much beyond watching me play growing up) calls and says "So, what do you make of this new soccer league?"
 
I still cannot believe how bad they have judged this. Nearly every supporter, every player, every pundit, came out against it vehemently.

Yesterday UEFA said the teams would be suspended from the Champions League Semi's, but I see today they have said they will now go on. This would of sent one hell of a message.

The worst part of this was the owners cowering and letting there managers and players take the brunt of the abuse and anger.

Some owners like John Henry, Kroenke, and the Glazers, may never be able to dig out of this and might have to sell.
 
Think this attempt is dead in the water. They'll struggle to find another 3 founding members in the current climate, let alone 5 additional teams that will want to sign up for the first year only. Let's be honest, the founding clubs aren't going to invite any teams that are going to pump them, so they'll be looking at teams worse than Arsenal and Spurs. If that's the case then what's the point in watching a league that has 7 guff teams in it?

There are then 2 further questions: how do you punish the rebel 12, and how do we sort European football? Not sure about 1 (points deductions/relegation seem fair), but 2 can only really involve a salary cap to fend off the future attempts at a breakaway league. Lots to think about.
 
There is a rumor today that one English club is already plotting there exit strategy. Still, the damage has been done. It was a dark day for the beautiful game.

I'm surprised Klopp didn't swim across the channel home yesterday. He must of said I missed my mothers funeral for this shit show ? He is loyal to the fans but I expect he will be off to Bayern or the Germany job this summer or take his break IMHO. Good on the Bundesliga clubs staying out of this!

 
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JohnnyCashFan said:
I still cannot believe how bad they have judged this. Nearly every supporter, every player, every pundit, came out against it vehemently.

Yesterday UEFA said the teams would be suspended from the Champions League Semi's, but I see today they have said they will now go on. This would of sent one hell of a message.

The worst part of this was the owners cowering and letting there managers and players take the brunt of the abuse and anger.

Some owners like John Henry, Kroenke, and the Glazers, may never be able to dig out of this and might have to sell.
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Those Glazer bastards have the largest brass necks I’ve ever come across. United is their personal ATM, they’re not backing out. They’ll stay enconsed in Florida being shady and bleeding the club dry as long as they can. It’ll always be someone else who they pay to take their flack. Unfortunately the only way they’ll be removed is by force.
 
Joe Mac said:
Those Glazer bastards have the largest brass necks I’ve ever come across. United is their personal ATM, they’re not backing out. They’ll stay enconsed in Florida being shady and bleeding the club dry as long as they can. It’ll always be someone else who they pay to take their flack. Unfortunately the only way they’ll be removed is by force.
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Mass boycott, including supporters outside Manc (both clubs) and around the world, I'm betting we see it at Anfield.
 
I think the English club looking to back out is City. Pep's lone challenge remaining is to win Champions League. If he doesn't have that to look forward to because his club has been ruled out of it, why would he stay? He's nothing left to prove. Pep is the best active manager going. You can't just sub him out and get the same results. I think he has the cache to make his ownership think twice.
 
mdmost said:
I think the English club looking to back out is City. Pep's lone challenge remaining is to win Champions League. If he doesn't have that to look forward to because his club has been ruled out of it, why would he stay? He's nothing left to prove. Pep is the best active manager going. You can't just sub him out and get the same results. I think he has the cache to make his ownership think twice.
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very odd tweet by the club. Seemingly going against the ESL decision?


 
JohnnyCashFan said:
Mass boycott, including supporters outside Manc (both clubs) and around the world, I'm betting we see it at Anfield.
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They’ve ignored mass demonstrations to their takeover and continued ownership before. I don’t know that they care all that much. But maybe the scale and multi club dimension may hold more force.
 
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