European Super League

Do you want the ESL to happen?


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  • Poll closed .

rimaldo

All about the essence
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100% correct. the legacy fan is dead. going to the stadium is dead. i want to ingest football live streamed on twitch. the chat window should take up half the page. a small window in the top right hand corner can show the game whilst the rest of the screen is dedicated to watching injured players open packs of pokémon cards.
 

pratyush_utd

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So apparently downtrodden fans savior Mancity abandoned them

 

justsomebloke

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I think people enjoy the fantasy that Real, Juve, Bayern, MU, Liverpool, Arsenal, PSG could be relegated in the modern era... rather than the reality.

It's like the American illusion that if you compete hard enough and find a niche that you can defeat Amazon or Walmart in retail.

But I suppose keeping that illusion intact would make it much more palatable for fans who actually think the game is played on a level playing field.
Don't be ridiculous. The point is that these teams have to earn their status as big clubs through results on the pitch. Not being relegated is an easy bar to stay over given the resources, but qualifying for the CL isn't.

The European system is a seamless whole where your place in the pyramid depends ultimately on performance. That does matter. There are clubs who 2 or 3 decades ago would be considered part of the European elite that no longer is.
 

crossy1686

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The Glazer family has never "pumped money" into the club. The club was bought on debt with security against Glazers own holdings. That debt has been paid off by the club. The remaining debt is the debt that was secured against the clubs own assets.

The only thing they have allowed the club to do is invest its own money in its own operation, while being the only owners in our league that take money out of the club.

We're purely, and solely a investment for the owners. Where other clubs have owners that are at least part interested in success on the pitch, we have owners that are interested in financial success and to do reasonably well on the pitch to ensure the investment value increases.

Man, Joel Glazer even said he took years to understand offside. They don't even know the bloody sport.
The part in bold is clearly bollocks but don't let a rumour ruin a good story.

I don't want to get into this in this thread. I don't agree with the model but perhaps there's a possibility the SL money could go towards paying off the debt? Thought about that?
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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I was wondering how long it'd take for woke capitalism to rear its ugly head as an excuse.

I'm sure we can also improve diversity in the league by incorporating teams from Tokro, Beijing, Singapore, Delhi, New York, California, Houston, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.
Yeah sure, lets bend over backwards for Slavia Prague and Zenit St. Petersberg fans throwing bananas at players because FOOTBALL LEGACY!
 

VorZakone

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Yeah you're right, how dare the best teams play the best teams. Disgraceful. I came here to see FC Cluj lose 7-0 to Barcelona and I'm not leaving until it happens
How dare teams grow organically and join the top dogs.

These 15 clubs have decided that they want to be the top dogs forever and feck the rest.
 

crossy1686

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As per the reports yesterday, an insignificant amount when compared to the money gained from being part of an elite 15 and the spend that would currently be required to compete with the top clubs.

The Glazers would unquestionably make more money underinvesting and finishing bottom of the SL than they would spending the money required to win or indeed consistently compete in the CL.
And this is why they're rich and we're all poor. They won't see the SL as an opportunity to make the bare minimum, they'll be looking at how the can make billions through sponsorships by winning the SL.
 

Smores

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You'll notice all the statements are against UEFA and Fifa action. I've not seen one statement from them alluding to whether fans want it.

These owners don't give a shit about us. It's rage inducing.
 

ChrisNelson

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Like most people I am 100% against this idea, I can't believe that these clubs (including ours) are just happy to throw away well over 100 years of history in domestic football and just abandon the league & cups (as I assume would have to happen).

I think from a United perspective maybe the board are thinking the deal would be sweetened for fans because we would still get our 2 biggest games of the season - City and Liverpool.

And they will argue that with the other 3 English teams in there too, all of our biggest games will still be replicated in the European Super League.

This doesn't however make it OK. In fact far from it - a football season is about 38 games of hard graft including all of those tough but fun away days, coupled with a chance to win a domestic trophy.

Then of course there is the chance for the best teams to compete in Europe depending on their achievements in the previous season.

That is the bit which is the biggest kick in the teeth, and stinks of arrogance to a level that I can barely comprehend they've had the nerve to even suggest it in the current climate when the world is on its ar$e and some people are struggling to put food on the table day after day.

And I know it's been said loads before on here and on radio phone-ins but even if this was a good idea then what is the rationale behind invites for the North London clubs? Oh of course, my mistake.... £££££££.

It's been done for two reasons only - money is the obvious one, the TV deals will be eye wateringly big. But also it shows that the clubs don't care about the fans walking through the gate every weekend (and very often midweek), i.e. the type of people that have built the club to what it is today.

They are only interested in the fans around the world, a huge majority of which have never visited the ground and never will. The simple fact is United, and the other clubs probably wouldn't even care if they had to play their matches in front of no fans because they know that around the world (I suspect Asia has had a big part to play) there will be hundreds of millions of fans tuning in to watch this 'big names only' competition.

When you actually line up the clubs named so far and list their recent achievements (particularly most recent domestic league title (neither of the Milan clubs have won Serie A in a decade and Arsenal are probably at least a decade away from challenging in England) or European trophy (I'm looking at you City & Spurs although granted one of them could win one this season) then it starts to show you how desperate this whole thing appears.

I really hope that German football sticks to its model of majority fan ownership so that this can't happen. I also think it's good that PSG are resisting (so far) as Bayern (last 8 in a row) and PSG (7 of the last 8) can at least justify their inclusion with recent domestic achievements.

I think this one has a long way to run but I really hope the powers that be, along with perhaps more importantly the fans oppose this with everything they have and continue to do so.
 

crossy1686

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1. Why do these 15 clubs get to automatically qualify because they are the top dogs at this moment? The time factor is the random variable here. Do this in 1995 and it may include Blackburn. Do this in 1980 and it may include Forest. These Super League clubs have secured their position for the foreseeable future.
2. Again, you are assuming that new teams get to join this exclusive group of clubs who automatically qualify. There is 0 indication of that so far.
It's been less than a fecking day dude, and you've asked me this question 3 times in here already. Just fecking wait and we'll find out eventually won't we?
 

MDFC Manager

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You will see parity mechanisms in the ESL to keep costs down, and help ensure competitiveness across the 15 clubs without the clubs having to overbid each other.
The whole idea behind the ESL seems to drive down costs and drive up profits, so yes, there'll definitely be mechanisms to drive down costs, and for clubs, transfers and wages are the biggest costs.
 

Botim

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This is just racist nonsense imo. Theres been rumours of a super league for decades now, the whole thing is led by Juve, Barca and Madrid ffs.
I'm just quoting a sports newspaper.

Also, how is this "racist"?
 

Siorac

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Yeah of course it's the Glazer family that is behind this.
It makes perfect sense for them. Their biggest problem in squeezing as much money as possible out of the club is the competitive nature of the Premier League which means we frequently miss out on the Champions League cash cow. This solves that problem.

That, incidentally, is why the notion that this might force UEFA to commit to meaningful reforms sounds like a fairy tale to me. What reform could they possibly propose that satisfies the Glazers' wish for financial stability AND preserves some semblance of sporting merit? None.
 

K stand Red

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Feck them all and hope the 12/15 rot in Hell!!

By all means if these 12/15 owners/chairman want to run their own super league crack on but don't prostitute the name of these famous clubs to start up your own league, start your own

I hope the Premier league/UEFA/FIFA stand firm on this and hold the clubs to an ultimatum, either stand together as one and if you want to whore yourself out to this debacle nob off now you will not be in the league, cups or internationals from season 2021/2022

Players/managers then have a choice to either jump or stay
 

Sentient Meat

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Don't be ridiculous. The point is that these teams have to earn their status as big clubs through results on the pitch. Not being relegated is an easy bar to stay over given the resources, but qualifying for the CL isn't.
If you can buy yourself out of 18th, 19th or 20th... you can often buy yourself into 4th or 5th. There is a little element of chance... but it's mostly about money other than the occasional Leicester type miracle.
 

JulesWinnfield

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Yeah sure, lets bend over backwards for Slavia Prague and Zenit St. Petersberg fans throwing bananas at players because FOOTBALL LEGACY!
Yeah thats it, the super league is great because it is for some reason going to end discrimination. #ForTheFans #BLM #AbuDhabiCup2024

Embarassing people actually fall for that corporate nonsense. If yelling racial slurs was profitable these teams would have all the players doing it. There's no morality here.
 

DomesticTadpole

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It's over for us. It's all about attracting the young fans that don't understand history and traditions of the game.
Agree. Will there be breaks in the games every few minutes for a word from our sponsor. Will commentators have to advertise cures for erectile dysfunction? Cheerleaders, marching bands before games.
 

justsomebloke

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Absolutely no chance this happens, think of the various fiscal regimes between Spain/England/Italy etc.

You cannot do drafts like in the NBA when players are subjected to different tax rates.
Of course you can, what nonsense. Look at the NHL - not just a bunch of different states (all of whom set their own taxes, largely), but two different countries - Canada and the US. Come to think of it, the other NA major leagues have Canadian teams too.
 

kouroux

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You'll notice all the statements are against UEFA and Fifa action. I've not seen one statement from them alluding to whether fans want it.

These owners don't give a shit about us. It's rage inducing.
They assume the fans want it and even alluded to it I think. Basically saying the fans could only say "yes"
 
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Why will it? As a fan of a club that's just doubled its income, will you be satisfied with a lack of recruitment and falling behind the other SL teams? Will that sit well with the Chelsea fan base?
Buy them from where? The other clubs will be miles behind, possibly fold.

How does another Roy Keane happen if the little Irish club folds and Forest are part time say?

Where do we send our players on loan (like Henderson did, Beckham, etc)?

Can West Ham afford to buy, nurture another Declan Rice to have him grabbed by an ESL club?

Never mind cake and eat it. It's cake, eat it and you (the non ESL clubs) can fecking wash up.

I've been thinking about so many things about this and one hypothetical was the FA/PL saying "you can't have the ESL and play here, choose. And if you choose the ESL, you're kicked out immediately".

And thinking "good". After almost half a century of support, the Glazers could take me to the point I'm happy (sic) United get kicked out of a league I've grown up with.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion but for me, there is NOTHING good about the ESL
 

MDFC Manager

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What is the point with solidarity payments to clubs that no longer can compete, even in theory? 10 bn over 23 seasons.. that amounts to less than 0,5 bn per season divided between 2-300 clubs? Decided by which factors? Who places highest in the domestic leagues, or sells the most players to a Super League team?
Solidarity payments are payments to the ESL members only :lol: The non ESL clubs will not get a single penny. That 10bn seems helluva lot attractive for the 15 clubs right?
 

Smores

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I'm glad to see most on here have some sense. A very limited few making a fool of themselves.

Will be interesting to see if the managers have any balls or they'll do a 180 in their opinions.
 

crossy1686

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How dare teams grow organically and join the top dogs.

These 15 clubs have decided that they want to be the top dogs forever and feck the rest.
As a Manchester United fan, I honestly don't care what happens to Leeds, or MK Dons, or Bromma Pojkarna. Do you think they'd give a shit it we went into administration? Why is it our responsibility to pay them?
 

Tom Cato

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The part in bold is clearly bollocks but don't let a rumour ruin a good story.

I don't want to get into this in this thread. I don't agree with the model but perhaps there's a possibility the SL money could go towards paying off the debt? Thought about that?

No there's no chance of that happening. The club will continue to adhere to the loan obligations and keep paying installments on the interest.

The debt will only be reduced, or paid, when the club changes ownership. As long as the club can manage its obligations there is no incentive to reduce it.
 

Joe Cool

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This idea of a Super League might have sit on the table for some time, but surely it has been accelerated in the last months and the fecking stupid English clubs took the bait. Look at who is driving this project - Perez and Agnelli - Madrid and Juventus - the two clubs that financially go from bad to worst, especially Juventus who apart from Ronaldo and to some extent De Ligt, only transfer dross because they don't have the money to challenge others for big players. Same goes for Madrid, their local newspapers talk about Haaland and Mbappe, but they can't do this deals because they don't have the money and it will only get worse for them with the pandemic and everything related to it.

And then guess who flourishes no matter it's cold outside? English clubs!!! Instead of taking advantage of this, these fecking morons took the bait and will balance things and put others in power play positions once again (especially the two Spanish clubs) when it could have been one and only outcome in a maximum of three years time and that was a completely domination of English football, financially speaking.

Can't believe they were that stupid and don't be surprised when, in a few years, Madrid and Barcelona go back to big name, big money transfers and frankly I will not have any hatred towards them knowing that it was the stupid English clubs that allowed it. Instead of having the likes of Chelsea, United, City and Liverpool do an all English fight for the Mbappes and Haalands of this world, they put Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus back on the map, too, when they were going down.

ESL my ass, it's the idiot English clubs saving others ass when they could have just rejected the idea and transform the Premier League into the Mecca of football. I'm sure if Madrid and Barcelona would have had this chance they would knock English football to the ground and bury it for good.
 

justsomebloke

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If you can buy yourself out of 18th, 19th or 20th... you can often buy yourself into 4th or 5th. There is a little element of chance... but it's mostly about money other than the occasional Leicester type miracle.
Well, the point is still that you don't get the next level unless and until you've delivered the goods on the pitch.
 

FreakyJim

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Yeah you're right, how dare the best teams play the best teams. Disgraceful. I came here to see FC Cluj lose 7-0 to Barcelona and I'm not leaving until it happens
you have to be one of the worst posters I've ever seen on here, and that takes doing, well done
 
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People say the Glazers will spend less money... but they won't be able to hide when they are 15th in the SuperLeague instead of a weak 2nd in the EPL

If anything their weaknesses will be exposed and they will have to spend more to keep up with the other "super" teams.

It's a work in progress... so I reserve judgment until this actually plays out awhile... if indeed it does get off the ground.
15th and an EBITDA of 200% and increased drawings.

In a league they CAN'T get relegated from.

They won't give a shit.