European Super League

Do you want the ESL to happen?


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  • Poll closed .

DomesticTadpole

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The champions league is stale and the new format will be even worse. Super league could work as a replacement, if done properly and not like this suggestion.

The idea of not qualifying as suggested kills the usual domestic football rights. If you're not in the title race, will be little to play for assuming not in relegation battle. Will be super dull, domestic TV revenue will collapse. Presumably it kills domestic cups too as no fixture space?

Plus the super league itself could also be pretty dull depending on exactly what the format is.

If this goes ahead I doubt these clubs would even see as much extra as they're expecting from TV money. Meanwhile all other clubs would implode as their TV money would hugely reduce.
Most of these clubs probably want their own TV deals, the American owners definitely thought that would be on the cards, but didn't catch on that here we look after the other clubs. It is sheer greed.
 

marktan

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A closed shop is a big no no for me.

I think I'll stop watching United altogether if it does pass.

Pure greed is abhorrent, all just to make more and more money for corporate owners. Feck that, earn your place in the champions League.
 

Siorac

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Im willing to bet legally they wouldn't succeed in not permitting a player to play for their country. They couldnt even make a UCL ban for City stick
'Playing for their country' means taking part in competitions organised by UEFA and FIFA. Sure, if a national association breaks away from FIFA and creates its own competition, FIFA or any other federation has no power to stop them. But why on Earth would FIFA be legally compelled to let anyone take part in their competitions?
 

Cloud7

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It is the fault of these "fans". You pour money into a club and league you have no actual affiliation with, leading to the disturbing centralisation of the sport which has led to the shitshow we have today.

If people poured money into their local clubs and leagues instead of going out of their way to pay for foreign leagues, the sport at global club level as a whole would be infinitely better off, and we would not have to deal with the bullshit we do today.

I mean, UEFA are to blame to a great extent too, but everyone knows that already and are happy to blame them. International "fans" aren't so keen about blaming themselves though the way they should.

The truth is though that the damage has already been done - any Super League is merely a mild divurgence from a path we are already on.
Today I learned that this is my fault for not being born in England, and instead being born in a country that barely has a functional football league. The more you know.
 

RORY65

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I never claimed to be speaking up for fairness. I am only looking out for the best outcome for MUFC. I don’t care if that means I am being unfair to other clubs. Our long term existence is at risk if oil clubs keep this financial doping and slowly take away new supporters from us as they continue to qualify for the CL every year through financial doling.

You don’t have cover us to just keep silent and wait for it to happen. Sounds like many clubs have the same reservations.
I'm glad you're a voice for the little guys like United and Real Madrid.
 

Hectic

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Join me in supporting Salford lad. We will listen to hip hop. Just you and I. You and I.
As long as you promise not to kill me and then have sex with my corpse.
 

DomesticTadpole

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Premier League fuming about this, during Burnley Man Utd- 2 clubs the PL allowed to be taken over by ridiculously leveraged buyouts, saddling them with hundreds of millions of debt

Well according to the Athletic article, the clubs themselves can show 4 games on their own streaming platforms a year.
So yes, you'll be downloading the Man Utd app and paying for that too
I knocked my HD on the head. I still get it on Sky and BT's SD is pretty good, however I already have MUTV and there SD is atrocious.
 

Henrik Larsson

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Not exactly sure what's going on and how this Super League would pan out in reality, but the reactions on here alone are probably worth it :drool:
 

Hoof the ball

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Also, from a spectacle perspective, what do you think happens when the system is closed? When there's no guarantee of losing your place? The CL works because exiting a competition is a reality. League systems work because relegation is a reality. The threat of relegation and exit means that lower table games are exciting because there's something to play for. What's to play for when you're in the lower half of the Super League? Nothing. What's the motivation to try when there's no consequence of being in the bottom 5-6? There isn't any.
 

Cassidy

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'Playing for their country' means taking part in competitions organised by UEFA and FIFA. Sure, if a national association breaks away from FIFA and creates its own competition, FIFA or any other federation has no power to stop them. But why on Earth would FIFA be legally compelled to let anyone take part in their competitions?
Because legally the player is a footballer from a nation which is part of the org.
 

KirkDuyt

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Wait, Spurs will play in this super league? :lol:

Can Feyenoord join too then? Seeing as we're equally irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
 

hellhunter

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Also, from a spectacle perspective, what do you think happens when the system is closed? When there's no guarantee of losing your place? The CL works because exiting a competition is a reality. League systems work because relegation is a reality. The threat of relegation and exit means that lower table games are exciting because there's something to play for. What's to play for when you're in the lower half of the Super League? Nothing. What's the motivation to try when there's no consequence of being in the bottom 5-6? There isn't any.
American sports disagrees.
 

ariveded

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It's like 2 rich, powerful, arrogant businesses fighting each other, and the common fans are the loser.

The UEFA/FIFA are trying to arm-twist by making saying they won't allow such players in World Cup. That itself is so wrong as well...
 

JPRouve

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What was the main reason behind this? Loss of money during covid? War with UEFA because of the new structure that will add new teams and thus effectively reduce the pot of money overall?
This has been going on for years, it's not due to recent events. But to answer your question, these clubs are the ones generating the CL money and they don't want to share it anymore.
 

Castia

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Funny how FIFA and the FA are threatening players with expulsion from their national teams.....yeah right. like that will happen it will ruin their own cash cow. Imagine England’s World Cup squad with the players all in the super league? who wins in that situation? It isn’t fifa or the FA
 
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Hectic

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Welcome back mate, I’m glad to see that you’re well!
I'm not very well actually as something seems to be killing me. I think it's the Premier League...if only there was some sort of continent backed alternative on the horizon.
 

Mindhunter

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There's no value in winning a competition that you didnt qualify for on merit.

Would you be happy with watching United play the same 11 other teams "in Europe" every season where we finish in the bottom half of the superleague table again and again and again?

And that's before you factor in no longer being a Premier League football team.
As opposed to? Being replaced by Newcastle United every year because there is no value in the market? Yes. Every fecking time.
 

ericPSG

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I'm more intrigued than outraged to be honest. If I can see a game every weekend against the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern instead of another episode of constipation inducing football from Wolves, that would add a lot more to the entertainment value.
It will be intriguing the first year. And some teams will naturally become bottom half of the 10 teams group stage of the super league. And the top superleague teams will be bored to play them

It will just change the fact that the name of the poor team could be manchester united or real madrid instead of sparta prague
 
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Wow I had actually forgotten the asterisk. I will have to check the official PL book to remind me it's there.

Is this high stakes just a ruse for getting the individual TV deals the big clubs have always been after?
UEFA are due to release their proposals tomorrow?

I don’t think it’s about the individual tv deals. Man Utd must realise that collective bargaining is a big part of why the PL has been successful. The clubs in Spain already have individual deals.

arsenal in the super league :lol:
 

Siorac

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Because legally the player is a footballer from a nation which is part of the org.
But eligibility is determined by FIFA. Let's say Rashford leaves England, becomes a Spanish citizen and wants to play for Spain in a World Cup.

Legally, he'd be a footballer from a nation that has a football association that is part of FIFA. Yet FIFA wouldn't allow him to play because he played for England in competitive games already and thus he's ineligible.
 

Paxi

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But eligibility is determined by FIFA. Let's say Rashford leaves England, becomes a Spanish citizen and wants to play for Spain in a World Cup.

Legally, he'd be a footballer from a nation that has a football association that is part of FIFA. Yet FIFA wouldn't allow him to play because he played for England in competitive games already and thus he's ineligible.
It would be a mine field. I'm sure there is a car lawyer on here that can explain to us just how bloody difficult it would be to navigate? Surely? someone?
 

reddevil702

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American sports disagrees.
Right! People are forgetting the main motivator in all of the current leagues... Money! Teams want to earn promotion into the PL and earn a CL spot because of money. Everything else is secondary.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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It's in the article, mate. I'll paste below.

Each of the founding teams is expected to earn fees paid hundreds of millions of pounds to participate, with clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid receiving the biggest sums for joining.
That’s essentially the franchise fee, a one time payment made by JPMorgan or whoever is bank rolling the league to buy the participation of those clubs. I was speaking more about how the revenue sharing would go once the league broadcast rights are determined.
 

hobbers

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As opposed to? Being replaced by Newcastle United every year because there is no value in the market? Yes. Every fecking time.
I'd rather play a financially doped Newcastle twice a season for proper honours than have a load of guaranteed and pointless European friendlies. It's literally the pre season Champions Cup stretched out over a year.
 

MU655

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Well you can be sure about that, but why does that make them more dominant? They're using the same dark magic now.
It is easier to get past one than two. The more mega-rich clubs you include, the far harder it will be to overcome them. Eventually, it will take its toll.

I know you mentioned Newcastle's potential takeover, but they haven't been taken over yet. Also, building them up to the standard of winning the PL would take years. (It took five seasons, I think, for City after the Mansour takeover. But they were also owned by the other rich guy from 2006.) Both PSG and City are already there.

Chelsea are rich, as well, but nowhere near the level of City and PSG. Plus they have stopped spending so much in recent years.

Presumably the other clubs will enforce the FFP much stricter than Uefa did.
But they won't be able to. Yes, they can be more strict over the club's wage payments, but they would have absolutely no say over a player getting massive advertising arrangements from other interests of their owners.
 

Munkehboi

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Global TV revenue will be huge for this. As much as we love our own Leauge, the appeal for fans especially in China, US, India and pretty much the remainder of Asia to watch the biggest teams in the world play each other week in week out is a massive global market to exploit. Jus looking at some statistics, apprarantly the PL draws in billions of views in China alone each season.

I abosolutly hate this idea though. Not sure I want to see Leicester City winning the PL every season.
 

Traub

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But eligibility is determined by FIFA. Let's say Rashford leaves England, becomes a Spanish citizen and wants to play for Spain in a World Cup.

Legally, he'd be a footballer from a nation that has a football association that is part of FIFA. Yet FIFA wouldn't allow him to play because he played for England in competitive games already and thus he's ineligible.
To be fair though, there has never been such a high profile collective reason to fight such rules before. Like I said before, I have no doubt that the clubs are confident that they have solid legal ground to eat their cake and have it too.
 

Rightnr

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That’s essentially the franchise fee, a one time payment made by JPMorgan or whoever is bank rolling the league to buy the participation of those clubs. I was speaking more about how the revenue sharing would go once the league broadcast rights are determined.
Good point. Either way, I am finding it hard even watching the game right now. Takes the soul out of football for me.
 

Blake's 7

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Money, money, money.
Next they'll move our "home" games abroad, have you seen the size of some of those American College Stadiums - why redevelop Old Trafford, the Brits can just stream the games at 2am in the morning.
 

Cassidy

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But eligibility is determined by FIFA. Let's say Rashford leaves England, becomes a Spanish citizen and wants to play for Spain in a World Cup.

Legally, he'd be a footballer from a nation that has a football association that is part of FIFA. Yet FIFA wouldn't allow him to play because he played for England in competitive games already and thus he's ineligible.
I know the rules. Im saying it will not stand up in court. They will lose the case in my opinion.
 

reddevil702

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It will be very interesting to see who folds first now that the PL has come out and said teams may be expelled. I would imagine the PL will as it would lose all interest from audiences abroad without the top 6 clubs.
 

Mindhunter

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I'd rather play a financially doped Newcastle twice a season for proper honours than have a load of guaranteed and pointless European friendlies. It's literally the pre season Champions Cup stretched out over a year.
More power to you then. I respect your ideological stance but I am all for this.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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Money, money, money.
Next they'll move our "home" games abroad, have you seen the size of some of those American College Stadiums - why redevelop Old Trafford, the Brits can just stream the games at 2am in the morning.
The whole point of investing in European sport is to maximize revenue and entertainment across different time zones.
Putting it in competition with American sports tv time would be a dumb move.