European Super League

[Redplane]

Tottenham being in the Super League is like Bananaman being in The Avengers

Hey I loved Bananaman as a kid. Leave that man alone- he s the reason why I love to put bananas down my throat and ...wait a min

 

[BaillyBaillyBailly]

Absolutely farcical.
Imagine the below scenarios:

Scenario A:
Team A has a poor start to their domestic league season and is in 10th position at Christmas. They also have a poor start to their Super League season and are just below midtable at the halfway stage. Form then temporarily improves enough to push Team A up to 6th in the league and they scrape qualification for the knockout stage in the Super League. Team A cannot mathematically win their domestic league and therefore tank all their remaining league games. Team A go on to win the Super League and finish 14th in their domestic league. This is a farce.

Scenario B:
Team B have an abysmal start to their domestic league season because all focus is placed in Super League. Team B finish top of their Super League group phase. at Christmas Team B are 20th in their domestic league but go into the knockout stage of the Super League in great form. Team B go on to win the Super League whilst being relegated from their domestic league.


The WHOLE POINT of European Competition is that is a reward for success in your domestic league. You have proven your current level in your league and take that into Europe to take on the best current teams. By removing any threat of removal from the Super League you remove any motivation for a team to perform in their domestic league. To be totally clear on this, Manchester United could theoretically just bomb out of the PL one season, Championship the next and be in League 2 whilst competing in the Super League.

 

[Boavista]

If Bayern join it'll be the end of the UCL. They're the only team withholding the new Super League from claiming to be the best.

Bayern, Ajax, Dortmund make much more sense as inclusions than Arsenal, Tottenham, Atletico.

Seriously why was Arsenal even invited? Because they have rich owners too?

I really hope the French and German teams won't cave. Last years finalists not being in the new Super League would undermine their whole goal, or at least the goal they pretend to have. Not getting my hopes up though, they might just be sitting on the fence and waiting how this plays out. In the end if it happens, not joining will be a very consequential decision

 

[Rightnr]

I’m genuinely interested to know what our own players and the other players who are registered to these clubs make of this and the apparent repercussions of it e.g. not being allowed to play for your country at a World Cup.

Honestly, I wouldn't expect most players to care beyond them 2-5x their current salary. I think for some it matters though like Pogba. But does it matter to the tune of 20-30m a year? Everyone has their price.

 

[cyberman]

Is it going to be like a game of poker between us and the Premier league?

theyve talked about kicking us out but What does a Premier league look like without us, man city, chelsea, arsenal, spurs and liverpool? and likewise for the spanish league.

is this going to be a case of the premier league has to kind of accept it as these 6 clubs are too big to fail if together? I cannot contemplate those 6 clubs being kicked out and replaced with championship clubs. Interested to see how fifa uefa and league try to block it.

personally not in favour as theres plenty of provision with the champions league and europa league. I almost think that theres demand for a third tier european tournament, almost like an intertoto cup that happens during season.

cant see this super league doing anything other than making the premier league a 6 team mini league, and its much better when you see ten man leeds giving a game to city and mid table villa spank 7 past the champs. Its that competition thats made it so good.

Better than the 1 super team league we have today?
Id love to see the City apologists in the media who attack this get called out on it. If 6 Citys is terrible for the league then 1 is as well

 

[astrogazer]

I am against the European Super League, but in my opinion, European football as I know it has long been dead. Winning the CL nowadays is, in my opinion, far less valuable than in the pre-Bosman period. Then, seeing clubs like Atlético, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City, PSG, etc., being considered the cream of European football, says everything I need to know about this future competition. Some have a lot of history, but some of those I have mentioned are tiny internationally. Everyone knows who these are.

 

[JSArsenal]

I’m genuinely baffled that there are people defending this idea or trying to portray it as a positive move. This is driven purely by corporate greed and cements the complete commodification of football. There’s not a single aspect of it that makes sense outside of the money and it will cause a massive rift within the sport.

It’s a league that you can’t be relegated from for fecks sake, how does that make sense?

Arsenal are 9th in the Premier League and haven’t even been in the Champions League for nearly 5 years. Yet they’re guaranteed to be in this new league every single season despite the fact that they’ll get dicked on repeatedly. Does anyone really enjoy San Marino being in the Euros qualifiers? Because that’s what Arsenal will be without ever having the threat of being relegated as a result.

And that’s just one minor part of the impracticalities of the format. The ethos behind it is fundamental issue; relentless greed. Do people really think if the clubs are willing to do this so brazenly that’ll be the end of it?

If Bayern join it'll be the end of the UCL. They're the only team withholding the new Super League from claiming to be the best.

Bayern, Ajax, Dortmund make much more sense as inclusions than Arsenal, Tottenham, Atletico.

Seriously why was Arsenal even invited? Because they have rich owners too?

Why are so many people dumping on Arsenal? We've won like 4 FA cups in 7 years and been to a Europa League final. We're hardly San Marino.

What's the cut off point and criteria? IF it's the last 5 years and based on footballing performance like some are arguing then I can't tell you how United got an invite. If it's baed on factors outside of the pitch like club size, fan support and all the rest of it, then you can't really question our inclusion.

 

[Withnail]

The audacity to form this "exclusive" group of clubs is a completely disgrace. A joke. Arsenal haven't won a title since 2004. Spurs since god knows when. In 50 years maybe Leicester or Everton have overtaken Arsenal, such is the beauty of football's unpredictability.

They've basically said feck you to all of us. And not even relegation. Complete farce.

I just read on twitter that Michael Jackson was two years old when Spurs last won the league

 

[Ben Lister]

How anyone can look at the proposal that 15 of the teams can never be relegated and don’t think it’s a joke is truly beyond me. Arsenal can (however unrealistic it is) be relegated to the championship and will still be in the super league. Hand on heart don’t get how this is a positive change to the champions league. I really really don’t.

 

[MickyOT]

If this does go ahead, what does it mean for the domestic leagues?

If (and that's a big if) these clubs stay in their domestic competitions, surely the domestic competitions would have to adapt to account for all of the European games the participating clubs have to play?

Could it mean:

- The end to cups and/or a reduction in league games (or reserves playing in these competitions)
- The introduction of a 'knockout' end to the season to play for the title (to give some meaning back to finishing in positions outside of 1st or relegation)

I am a new poster but just had to come on for the first time in years to express alongside everyone else here what a sad, sad day this is for football. For the first time I feel no affinity towards what this club has become. Heartless, money-driven foreign owners looking to make a buck from English football should never have been allowed to happen.

It seemed OK at first with Blackburn, then Chelsea, then the rest of the clubs. People were saying it would be the end but it wasn't. But fast forward 15-20 years and this is what we're left with. It was the inevitable conclusion of foreign ownership, which should have been seen coming from a mile away.

We need to take back the clubs. I honestly don't know where this leaves me as a fan if this goes ahead. Absolutely gutted.

If United isn't in the Premier League it isn't United. It's just a club with the same name as one I used to love.

 

[Kounan]

I wonder how much value a massive boycott by fans could shave off the club? Judging by the reaction tonight it seems pretty unanimous that this is shite.

No merch, no sky packages, no PPV etc etc.

Not much, unless all fans do it, but one club..... Look at Tampa Bay, not many fans, not even on TV because of that, but they were still profitable. But then the Glazers decided to spend and won the Super Bowl this year.

 

[diarm]

In the scenario that the Super League sides are allowed to remain within their domestic leagues, what happens if one gets relegated?

 

[newsdevil]

In the Super League each team will get 2 timeouts per half. Maybe even a coaches challenge

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

It's been confimed that any participating club will be sent to the lowest division.

Oh man, that's hilarious. Talk about giving your top leagues a suicide pill.

So maybe you're being a bit ridiculous.

I'm not the one talking about anulling ownership of multi-million dollar organizations.

 

[Withnail]

This is what many people are being completely naive about.

They will have taken the best legal advice that money can buy and will know where they stand legally and contractually.

Oh yeah they'll have covered every angle. At best they'll back down with a bigger piece of the pie than they were getting before.

 

[el3mel]

In the Super League each team will get 2 timeouts per half. Maybe even a coaches challenge

Time to form cheerleaders team with some hot chicks to dance for the fans during the timeout.

 

[pratyush_utd]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[horsechoker]

This could be like when Kevin Hall and Scott Nash left WWE. We could be replaced in the Champions League by another Manchester United but its actually Birmingham City.

 

[Rightnr]

A few people have brought up positives. Now they all sound like bollocks to me but I have thought of one genuine one.

Cheerleaders anyone?

 

[utdalltheway]

Not a single team or player will be banned. This is all posturing. They wouldn't have taken the step if there was any danger of this.

Watch the French FA stifle any banning from the national teams. They'll talk big but won't want to lose Pogba, Griezmann, etc

 

[Berbaclass]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Giggs' right foot]

Is it going to be like a game of poker between us and the Premier league?

theyve talked about kicking us out but What does a Premier league look like without us, man city, chelsea, arsenal, spurs and liverpool? and likewise for the spanish league.

is this going to be a case of the premier league has to kind of accept it as these 6 clubs are too big to fail if together? I cannot contemplate those 6 clubs being kicked out and replaced with championship clubs. Interested to see how fifa uefa and league try to block it.

personally not in favour as theres plenty of provision with the champions league and europa league. I almost think that theres demand for a third tier european tournament, almost like an intertoto cup that happens during season.

cant see this super league doing anything other than making the premier league a 6 team mini league, and its much better when you see ten man leeds giving a game to city and mid table villa spank 7 past the champs. Its that competition thats made it so good.

I would love for the FA to say "Too bad - you're out. Have fun playing 23 odd games a season" and take the hit of losing the biggest teams. fecking despise our owners.

 

[Schneiderman]

Look into the details of the comp and think through the impact this will have on all other competitions as we know them.

Whats the difference between finishing 2nd and 17th from now on in the PL? Assuming we're not thrown out, we've nothing to gain from continuing to genuinely compete once out of the title race. Cue league Cup quality teams for the Manchester Derby - wouldn't want to tire the boys out ahead of the fourth fecking game against Madrid this Wednesday.

FA/League cups? Forget about it. 60+ games across two competitions i imagine leaves us either dropping those or fielding the kids. A sorry way to treat a trophy as precious as the FA Cup.

Skip ahead to travelling tours of the ESL. Less and less home games, with the nightmare scenario being a complete swing towards a franchise model, with teams moved about from city to city as their owners see fit. Worst case scenario I know, but nobody can convince me this isn't the direction these cnuts are pushing towards.

Exactly, and this is why the Premier League (hopefully) really will kick the teams out. It'd be completely unfair on the Fulhams and Newcastles trying to stay in the league, one plays against a full strength City and the other plays United's kids. Destroys the spirit of the competition. It'll be better for the league long term to kick them out.

 

[Withnail]

It's been confimed that any participating club will be sent to the lowest division. So maybe you're being a bit ridiculous.

Do you have a source for this?

 

[Dinghy]

This summers transfer window is going to be fecking mad. The founding cocks of football are going to spend shitloads to get the fans onboard.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[stevoc]

PSG is owned by Qatar. Do you think they are in it for the money? I don't think Qatar is going to create any more problems with the WC.
I am surprised at City though.

Why?

The investment in City is all about being an advert for Abu Dhabi. Given the choice of playing in a devalued CL with Udinese, Schalke and Sevilla every year or joining the super league with United, Real and Barca. It's obvious they would choose the latter.

 

[awop]

The problem is now teams like Spurs and Arsenal along with AC and Inter have the power to spend 300m this summer so anybody thinking United are just going to go out and buy X, Y and Z are in for a shock when there’s suddenly 12 clubs looking to buy the top players in Europe.

Watch us still not spending anything close to what we'd need to compete

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

He's talking about the PL. If you're not in the title race after 20/25 games then what's the point?

Yup.

With no need for European qualification if we have a bad first 10 games in the league then our domestic season is essentially over in September...leaving you with 28 dead rubbers because every spot from 2nd - 17th means essentially the same, outside of varying prize money for the owners.

Same goes for all the Super League clubs.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

jfc

 

[Fox outside the box]

Eh?!?! The only positive for us as a club from your post was that we'll invest more. I basically explained why I thought that was a moot point.

Playing devil's advocate requires some actual realistic arguments. You saying we'll invest more when this club has been going down the proverbial capitalism drain for 15 years under these leeches makes me question whether you are just saying things to look unbiased.

I haven't said we will invest more. If you put down this insistence on fighting anything that doesn't immediately and simply agree with you then you can see I've said we will continue to be invested in, not as much as we know we should. We did spend 80 million quid on a defender. That's not pitiful investment. We won't just be tossed aside and see zero is my point. We will still sign players, we will pay pretty jig ages and we will probably pay some pretty hefty transfer fees.

For the last time. No, probably not as much as we should do, I'm not fighting you on that. I just think it's over dramatic to suggest we'll essentially be left to rot.

 

[Arruda]

Finally a reason to be interested in football again, following this clusterfeck of a novel .

Been some years since I've seen a full game anyway.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

With blackjack and hookers

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

I'm not a fan a fan of government interference but I'd be happy for the UK to do something crazy/illegal that facks this up and at least puts it into court for years.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Fanta Stick]

Why are so many people dumping on Arsenal? We've won like 4 FA cups in 7 years and been to a Europa League final. We're hardly San Marino.

What's the cut off point and criteria? IF it's the last 5 years and based on footballing performance like some are arguing then I can't tell you how United got an invite. If it's baed on factors outside of the pitch like club size, fan support and all the rest of it, then you can't really question our inclusion.

History over merit eh?

 

[VorZakone]

I really wonder how other clubs perceive this. What are Leicester thinking? Wolves? Everton? Leeds?

What are Napoli & Roma thinking?
What are Sevilla thinking?

 

[Gandalf]

I just read on twitter that Michael Jackson was two years old when Spurs last won the league

That can't be true, I didn't think Spurs had ever won the league.

 

[Rightnr]

Do you have a source for this?

There were some statements in tweets upthread, can't find them right now. Obviously things are moving quite quickly but this is in line with what has been said.

I may be wrong but I've seen it mentioned.

 

[pratyush_utd]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

This is going to be tasty. Football was dying for some time now with Oil money ruining it for last decade. Atleast we will have some controversies to keep us entertained