European super league

[Toondes]

Senior Uefa figures are furious that 11 major European clubs, including five from England, have signed up to a breakaway European Super League.
BBC Sport was told last week of plans for some sort of confirmation about a European Super League.
Uefa hoped to head off plans with a new-look 36-team Champions League set to be confirmed on Monday.
Uefa said it will use "all measures available" to stop the "cynical project" of a breakaway Super League.
The European governing body released a joint statement together with the English Football Association, Premier League Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), La Liga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) as well as Serie A on Sunday.
They said they will "remain united" in trying to stop the breakaway, using both judicial and sporting measures if required.
They also reiterated Fifa's stance that players taking part in the Super League would be banned from all other competitions at domestic, European or world level and could be prevented from representing their national teams.
In a separate statement, the Premier League said it condemned the proposal as it "attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart" of domestic and European football.
Juventus owner Andrea Agnelli, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis would all have had a significant input into the Champions League discussions on Friday.
However, it appears those clubs are among those to have broken ranks, to the fury of Uefa, whose president Aleksander Ceferin wanted to stave off a Super League threat.
Spanish La Liga sides Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also part of the 11-team group, as are Italian Serie A club Inter Milan.
None of the clubs concerned have responded to questions about the proposals.
The Premier League said a European Super League would "destroy" the dream of fans that "their team may climb to the top and play against the best".
It added such a league would "undermine the appeal of the whole game" and that they would work with the FA, the English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association, League Managers Association and fans to "defend the integrity and future prospects of English football".
The FA said it will "not provide permission to any competition that would be damaging to English football" and will "take any legal and/or regulatory action necessary" to stop it.
Bundesliga sides are opposed to the plans because the German model means commercial investors cannot have more than a 49% stake in clubs, so fans hold a majority of their own voting rights.
It is understood French Ligue 1 side Paris St-Germain are not part of the 11-team group.
Uefa said it thanked "those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up" to the breakaway league.
"We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced," they added.
"This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."
Quite when the European Super League would start is unclear.
However, world governing body Fifa has already said it would not recognise such a competition and any players involved in it would be denied the chance to play at a World Cup.
Serie A have called an emergency board meeting to discuss the matter.
The Football Supporters' Association said it is "totally opposed" to the plans, which it said were "motivated by nothing but cynical greed".
They added: "This competition is being created behind our backs by billionaire club owners who have zero regard for the game's traditions and continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom."
It has been agreed the new-look Champions League will involve an initial phase where every club plays 10 matches each rather than the current group phase.
In addition there would be play-offs, followed by a knockout phase.
The most controversial aspect of the proposals surround the allocation of the four additional places, with two being reserved for the clubs ranked highest in Uefa's co-efficient table who fail to qualify for the Champions League through their domestic competition, but do secure some kind of European football.
At the moment, Liverpool and Chelsea would be the clubs who benefited from that system if it was in place this season.

[Don Sholeone]

For once im 1000% behind Gary Neville going ape s***

[bodacious benny]

Safe to say this has rightly received a big backlash.

I don’t look forward to playing the ‘big clubs’ anyway as generally we lose, let them f*** off!

[Toondes]

The fa have implied that teams who wish to do will no longer be able to play in the Premier league or represent their national team. I'd kick them out anyway now.

[Colly]

It's such an absurd concept. Do they really think that they'll get Anfield full playing the same 11 clubs week after week year after year, never again playing their local rivals? They might get a bit of a tourist crowd, but "those magical European nights at Anfield" aren't really the same when the crowd is made up of folk on their holidays. The players won't like it (if they wanted a big payday they could go to China already, anyone who's any good comes back), the tv revenue will fall, and the whole thing falls to bits. Ridiculous concept from marketing idiots who think that "brands" like Tottenham will sustain a closed competition in perpetuity.

[HowayTheLads]

Think that's the thing. The concept they've signed up to suggests they will keep on playing domestic football and as much at the PL, FA, UEFA et al can say clubs will be banned from playing in their leagues and their players from internationals, when push comes to shove will those bodies really want a situation where the 50 of the world's best players can't play at a World Cup or the money spinning names aren't in the PL?

[Donkey Toon]

The leagues they are currently in won't give permission so they will have to break away. That will kill their idea for 5 invitational teams that face relegation because they won't be able to rejoin their original leagues in the event of getting relegated. I also doubt they will ever achieve the income increase they are clearly expecting, as most neutrals will be unwilling to pay money to watch a league of elites that consider themselves above the rest. Looking at media it appears that most fans of the clubs in question are also against it.

So I think it is a non-starter, but the clubs in question should be punished anyway for being cronuts.

[Don Sholeone]

Think that's the thing. The concept they've signed up to suggests they will keep on playing domestic football and as much at the PL, FA, UEFA et al can say clubs will be banned from playing in their leagues and their players from internationals, when push comes to shove will those bodies really want a situation where the 50 of the world's best players can't play at a World Cup or the money spinning names aren't in the PL?

The thing about football is new players come along, is there really any players about at the moment that football can't do without, if Messi and Ronaldo in their prime were heading to this Super League then it might have more of a pull in that regard but they are just seeing out their days as players now.

Also I think another thing these clubs have overlooked is players desire. Do they really think players are willing to spend their whole career in one league in front of half arsed plastic fans? Yes you have a lot of money hungry players but most will still get bored imo. They are gambling on the world's best players wanting to sit in isolation in a non competitive league.

[overseasTOON]

Think that's the thing. The concept they've signed up to suggests they will keep on playing domestic football and as much at the PL, FA, UEFA et al can say clubs will be banned from playing in their leagues and their players from internationals, when push comes to shove will those bodies really want a situation where the 50 of the world's best players can't play at a World Cup or the money spinning names aren't in the PL?

The thing about football is new players come along, is there really any players about at the moment that football can't do without, if Messi and Ronaldo in their prime were heading to this Super League then it might have more of a pull in that regard but they are just seeing out their days as players now.

Also I think another thing these clubs have overlooked is players desire. Do they really think players are willing to spend their whole career in one league in front of half arsed plastic fans? Yes you have a lot of money hungry players but most will still get bored imo. They are gambling on the world's best players wanting to sit in isolation in a non competitive league.

There really should be a season ticket holder vote on this with the stipulation that they know when the money peters out due to lack of fucks given by the TV crowd; the club would have to rejoin in the lowest tier domestically to re-enter and compete.

[Don Sholeone]

The whole thing is so sinister, it seems the whole project big picture saga was so they could do this Super League alongside getting PL money. Pure greed. It would have seen some of these clubs bringing in close to £1b in revenue every year

[Don Sholeone]

Wow, the statement tonight is it's all a done deal, all the league's of the club's involved need to take the hardest stance possible and boot them for the league's. PL actually have the authority to dish out severe punishments here as it directly breaks a rule set out by the PL.

[lassassinblanc]

Hopefully uefa bans the lot of them

[TJR]

The game is well and truly gone.

If Klopp, Soljksear, Guardiola, Mourinho, Tuchel and Arteta have even a shred of integrity they have to resign from thier roles to make a stand. Players of those clubs have to vocally come out against this and request transfers away from thier clubs.

All players who play for those clubs need to be banned from all other football, including representing thier countries. FIFA / UEFA need to ban them from thier competitions, thankfully UEFA have confirmed tonight that they will.

This directly breaches a clause regarding participation in the Premier League. The Premier League have to kick those 6 out of the competition immediately. Remaining fixtures for those 6 not fulfilled and previous results deleted. Leicester City confirmed as FA Cup winners. Three teams promoted as usual from the Championship but no relegation.

[Don Sholeone]

The reaction needs to be massive, I think players at these clubs need to go on strike, managers and coaches need to resign. These clubs names need to be made into dirt and anyone thinking of following them be it clubs or player need to be made aware it's a one way street, you go down it then there is no route back. You are done for in the existing format.

[bodacious benny]

If they kick Liverpool out before the weekend can we be awarded the 3 points

The backlash to this from fans of all clubs (including those proposing it) is already massive. Surely it can’t / won’t happen? Huge sanctions needed if clubs don’t back down.

[Sir Bobby]

The backlash to this has been delightful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen football fans come together in such a united manner. Fans, pundits, ex-players. Glorious.

These idiots who have agreed to it are so inconceivably stupid and greedy it beggars belief. They don’t understand that these football businesses they own aren’t like their other businesses, where success is measured in profit. They don’t understand the meanings and the responsibilities of the institutions they have at their fingertips; they only understand the power of them. It staggers me they don’t seem to get that these clubs are exponentially more entangled in local culture than an Asda is. They confuse followers for fans. To them, 5000 followers in India willing to pay £1 a year each is much better than a season ticket holder who turns up every fortnight, just like his dad did and his dad before him. In their greed, they’ve blinded themselves to the bigger picture.

Imagine the 2 million scousers in Greater Liverpool unable to ever watch a Merseyside derby again. Unable to have bragging rights over their mates. Or the Man City fans who watched their team in the third division playing York, Lincoln and Macclesfield. Those lows were what made THAT Aguero goal so special. By eliminating risk, you minimise reward. It removes the inspiration, the fear, the hope. There’s no heroism in protecting your own interests at the expense of others’ opportunities. If they go through with it, it’ll atomise these clubs into YouTube highlight videos and nothing more.

It’s disgraceful to even play with the idea.

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

If they kick Liverpool out before the weekend can we be awarded the 3 points

The backlash to this from fans of all clubs (including those proposing it) is already massive. Surely it can’t / won’t happen? Huge sanctions needed if clubs don’t back down.

They think they can force it through the courts

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

From a discord im on

"Big lol at Qatar if the players can't play at the World Cup, couldn't have happened at a better time"

[seaside nipper]

Horrendous idea in any case, just stupid from a concept POV. JP Morgan financing it as well ??
Corporate greed taking on UEFA.
Football fans now truly shown that they don’t matter.
This will probably all go away after more dirty deeds and some renegotiation resulting in money movements.
I would imagine some players with international ambitions at the big six clubs and beyond must be looking at this and thinking WTAF