Because you need the domestic league to qualify. The 'top 4 trophy' didn't become a thing for no reason.
If this happens, I hope they go ahead and kick these clubs out of their national leagues. Those will then have a much more level playing field and immediately become much more interesting to watch. All that's left in that case, would be for Ajax to join this ESL, which I can then happily ignore knowing that my main gripe with national football (that they're dominated everywhere by too few clubs in perpetuity) will have been fixed.
This whole kicking out of the league, stripping titles etc seems so ridiculous. It makes zero sense and stinks of big TV companies trying to fan outrage because they are scared about what this does to the monopoly they have held for so long.
Seems like their best tactic now is try and enrage the fans and squash the thing.
Do you actually think sky give two shits about Southampton not being able to qualify for the super league? Are people that naive? This isn't about integrity and dreams, it's about some people realising that their golden egg is going to become someone else's golden egg.
They will still have the champions league. Why aren't sky excited about all the clubs who could never qualify before, now being part of that? Hm? The likes of Everton, Wolves, West Ham etc can now all regularly play European football. Why aren't sky embracing that?
Because they don't want the likes of West Ham and Everton being the face of their product. Sky know their TV rights will be impacted by this and they are shitting it.
I've said for years I'd rather just pay a membership to United and have access to all of our games. Sky have had us by the balls for years.
Champions League will still be a thing. Anyone who says "it will be shit though" shouldn't also then be moaning because those teams can't get into the super league because that's the point, people would rather watch Man United vs Real Madrid than they would Everton vs Valencia. The champions league only has as much value as the fans etc grant it. If the champions league died due to low viewership then its because fans are the ones choosing not to watch those clubs. So why be so desperate for those clubs to 'have a chance' when if enough if them took their chance, you wouldn't tune in to watch it anyway.