Champions League revamp

[Drico]

From an ownership perspective, if it makes them more.money, I have a feeling they won't care what place they finish each year.

I'm talking about the fans, though. They're used to being the big bullies in their leagues. In the end, there will only be one: and if history tells us anything, that will, eventually, prove to be Real Madrid.

 

[smileychap]

A few 'theories' about this:

1. Self-preservation.
Covid has wrecked incomes. Grounds might be in single thousands for _years_. ESL would get watched, so they stay afloat. Premium PPV model games just like DAZN etc

2. US & Foreign ownership
Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool. All US-backed. They want pernanent franchises and always have. This has been coming and clubs AND fans have always been glad of the cash... Be careful waht you wish for.

3. CL and Europa formats need change
Lengthy, lots of games/travel, earl rounds a bit dross. So this is a bit of a bargaining chip...

These clubs will be absolutely despised by so many fans now though, including some of their own. So it's sort of high risk but they clearly want change - so it'll be sort of interesting to see what comes out of this. The major regret for me is what a hollow, de-valued attitude towards the Prem and Englsh football which will live on for a while now. When a promoted side goes to these places knowing the club doesn't want them there. That's just rotten.

 

[MikeH72]

The problem is the 14 are not homogenous in their aims. Burnley, Brighton, Crystal Palace and the like need the renegade six to keep the PL TV value inflated. None are serious about ever competing in top level European competition. Everton, Aston Villa, Leicester, and West Ham would have very different ambitions. Leeds and Wolves would prize consolidation and then progress. They will not present a united front.

I expect a compromise to eventually emerge. Bayern Munich will be the bridge to this as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge straddles UEFA, the ECA, and the renegades. Bayern would have to be in a super league for obvious reasons, but cannot be due to the power German fans wield over their clubs. He is, by default, the one who sees both sides of the story. I can't see the renegades being ejected in the end. Points could well be docked, but turkeys will not vote for Christmas.

Burnley, Brighton and Palace might actually care about fans and the spirit of the game though. This is a long shot, I know.

 

[Vax]

Well.
Out of those 12 teams, only a couple of them actually won the UCS in the last decade.
The others spent a shitton of money to build a team to win and couldn't. So they created a new League that now is somehow more important than any other cup ever and UCL is [Poor language removed].
In a few years some of those teams will realise that they never win the Superleague and will create a Supersuperleague with less members to try to win something and they'll say that the Superleague is [Poor language removed].

If you can't win something made your own and spit on what you can't have.

 

[Drico]

Personally think these clubs vastly overestimate the power of an individual club brand over the brand of a league or association.

I don't know the numbers, but it certainly seems like English football has grown wildly over the past few years with traditional powers such as United and Arsenal relatively struggling and teams without the previous global appeal (City, Leicester) achieving.

It certainly helps to have these brands and stuff, but I personally think most casual international fans enter football by way of the the World Cup/Internationals and then start watching a domestic club competition.

Big clubs exist because those competitions have built them up to be big clubs over the past 30 years and keep shoving them on the cover of FIFA.

Yup, the international tournaments attract way more female interest, for example. People identify with countries more than clubs - particularly women.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Oh no, that one is easy - international selection is at the discretion of the international bodies. If they disallow selection for any reason, that's the end of it. They dictate the eligibility.

Right, UEFA is on a hand. Realistically, they have no choice but to play it for high stakes. If they don't, they may as well concede being irrelevant forever. This fact doesn't bother Woodward et al that much. They figure that when UEFA puts the question to them, the players will take the dollar signs every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The Prem clubs are not on a hand due to the outsize contribution of the TV contracts towards their revenue. This is where Woodward et al sense weakness.

The Prem holds all the cards regardless. If they're not allowed to kick them out then they simply don't take their midweek unsanctioned games into account when arranging fixtures. Very quickly the clubs involved won't be able to fulfill their fixtures one way or another.

Woodward et al are counting on their unwillingess/inability to take the financial hit from the broadcasters for the forfeited matches.

 

[barneygumble]

Bottom team in la liga 23 points, bottom team premier league 14 points and played a game more.
Im sure not sure why people are so deluded about the quality of the Premier league

Sheffield United is an anomaly. There was talk of them being the worst team ever at one point, and that’s 30 years of teams. I understand your point, but it’s an anomaly.

The Premier League is a vastly superior league overall compared to the other leagues, and I place that in part down to the fact there is equal pay across all 20 teams.

Will a West Brom win a league? No.. but will they cause upsets and provide entertainment along the way, probably.

 

[DaChunk]

 

[longers]

Apparently Ceferin is a black belt in Karate

 

[DaChunk]

 

[canuckblue]

Apparently Ceferin is a black belt in Karate

So he's well-poised to give those 12 teams the chop, then.

 

[arch stanton]

I hope the football authorities see and seize the opportunity to reset the game; Expel the cabal, replace with teams from the next level down (rinse and repeat all down the pyramid) and all of a sudden, the playing field is more level, all the top flight teams will be closer to each other, games will be unpredictable again, old rivalries can be re-established. There may be a short term dip in revenue but I feel only this will preserve football as a sport. The traitorous six can come back but must start in the depths of the leagues.

 

[LazarusMoon]

I'm talking about the fans, though. They're used to being the big bullies in their leagues. In the end, there will only be one: and if history tells us anything, that will, eventually, prove to be Real Madrid.

Yeah fair point. All those glory hunting fans could soon tire of finishing at the bottom.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Right, UEFA is on a hand. Realistically, they have no choice but to play it for high stakes. If they don't, they may as well concede being irrelevant forever. This fact doesn't bother Woodward et al that much. They figure that when UEFA puts the question to them, the players will take the dollar signs every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The Prem clubs are not on a hand due to the outsize contribution of the TV contracts towards their revenue. This is where Woodward et al sense weakness.



Woodward et al are counting on their unwillingess/inability to take the financial hit from the broadcasters for the forfeited matches.

this is what its all about

how much would a broadcaster pay for a league without city, the RS, Utd etc not participating?

 

[Wat Tyler]

He is right, it isn’t gonna happen.