The super league got blocked so this was the alternative.
Saudi Arabia FA interested in joining UEFA Champions League (Bloomberg)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
That’s a fair point.
I think it's a little of a non argument though because Israel is in UEFA largely by default and because they cannot be part of the confederation you would assume they should be in.
If Saudi is invited to C1 it opens he possibility of a Saudi club playing an Israeli one and it is it's own can of political worms.
Enter the Aramco's multi billions dollars Uefa any competition sponsorship deals. And yeah, kaching for every board memebers...
Who says the football bubble gonna bust, Football is just starting, potentail is still huge, just look at the American Football and how much money in there to make. Thats why you have tons of American consortium try to buy PL clubs. Uefa have no choice but to make inclusion of them to get that money from the middle east areas. Its what they always wants, like Fifa to expand and make as much momey of football as they can.
Who says the football bubble gonna bust, Football is just starting, potentail is still huge, just look at the American Football and how much money in there to make. Thats why you have tons of American consortium try to buy PL clubs. Uefa have no choice but to make inclusion of them to get that money from the middle east areas. Its what they always wants, like Fifa to expand and make as much momey of football as they can.
Rangers and Celtic should be allowed in the PL too. 
But it’s the fact they aren’t even in Europe. They are a Middle Eastern country. So on that basis the concept of non-European teams being part of the competition has already been broken.
There are dozens of teams from Russia, Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan that are eligible to play in European competition despite being geographically located outside “Europe”.
I literally called this about a month ago but didn't think it'd happen this soon 
Imagine a newly revamped international Champions League with Santos, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Flamengo, etc, all involved.
Good shout.Rangers and Celtic should be allowed in the PL too.
They already have a team in the Champions League - Newcastle FC.
UEFA + Saudi Champions League then
By default? I disagree. I don't think any clubs outside of Europe should play in the UEFA Champions League.
Knowing how corrupt UEFA is im sure they will say yes when offered some money.
Are Saudi Arabia members of the UEFA? If not where is the hypocrisy?
You can't be serious? England are in the continent of Europe. The European Cup/Champions League existed long before the European Union.I'm in total agreement "Europe" as a concept is largely an human construction and it doesn't mean the same thing to everyone & in different fields (here football and the UEFA)... We all know here it is a profit and power move that changes the nature of the UCL (Supposedly a competition for UEFA members) to an intercontinental competition.
Or we might as well dismantle the Asian federation, and African then the UEFA and FIFA. Not that it would be a huge loss, the corrupt lot of them.
Crazy, they didn't waste any time, did they?
Let them. Who gives a feck if they hover up talent because it will slowly bleed them dry over the next number of years. I watch United, I couldn't give two feck about who plays fof who over in Saudi.
If Saudi clubs are able to offer CL football then no PL player is off limits.
FFS of course not
End of UEFA I guess. Super league will become a reality with all big clubs and they will include Saudi clubs as well.
Basically, we won't get sold.
Basically, we won't get sold.
Israel located in the middle east can be a uefa member....so why cant Saudi Arabia if it meant them participating in the same tournaments (I'm sure they would if given the chance)?
As others have already said above, you have teams from Russia and other regions outside of Europe that are in these Uefa tournaments simply because they are Uefa members which is the only criteria it seems to be able to parcipate....irrespective of where they are from.
Uefa have should never have allowed it in the first place.
Give every pro team at every level of their respective football pyramid (in each country who can qualify for the champions league) 100 million quid per season and I'd let them have 1 entry, who have a play off against the previous year's winners in order to get into the first qualifying round.
Anyone shocked by this need to get their head checked. It was always going to happen.
UEFA is one of the most corrupt governing bodies out there, so how anyone thought that the Saudis wouldn’t be able to buy their way in, I don’t know.
UEFA is one of the most corrupt governing bodies out there, so how anyone thought that the Saudis wouldn’t be able to buy their way in, I don’t know.
Nah, just look at some of their starting line-ups. Al-Ahli for example have a front 4 of Mahrez, Boudebouz, Saint-Maximin and Firmino - that's better than most teams in the Champions League and that's one summer of this spending. They have Roger Ibanez at the back and Mendy in nets. They keep adding to it, might have applied in January.
The EEC isn’t Europe
If Aussies can compete in the Eurovision, then anything is good
At this point just bring back the ESL.
Did Saudi miss the E in UEFA? someone should tell them it stands for European
As everyone single person on here predicted...
It is UEFA. The only question they would have is for how much money.
So why was everyone so against the super league? Uefa had the new UCL format already planned and now this..
Messi League Soccer should also petition for their WWE to be allowed in UCL.
You should probably google Al Hilal’s squad.
Now I am interested. Everybody can say whatever they want. A rebrand like this would instantly take the Champions league from the tiresome repetitive tournament it is now to something very very interesting. I would be delighted to watch Boca Juniors vs Manchester United. Real Madrid vs Santos. Inter Miami vs Liverpool, Al Ahly of Egypt vs PSG, Al Nassr vs Bayern Munich, in the group stages alone. Tired of all these also-rans of European Football in the group stage. CSKA Moskow, Sporting and the likes.Imagine a newly revamped international Champions League with Santos, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Flamengo, etc, all involved.
It's definitely envelopes big brown ones.
If this happens expect the super league to rear it’s ugly head again
Putting trust in UEFA is like putting trust in the government. You know it's a case of brown envelopes and connections.
To think we could have had a league governed by the clubs.
To think we could have had a league governed by the clubs.
April 1st?
We already have Club World Cup coming up. Unless we win UCL this year we're not in btw.