Green light for the Super League?

[Marius57]

Think there is only Real and Barca left in it at this point.

Have the RS said anything yet? All I saw was that they weren’t planning to make any statement (likely waiting to see how it goes down in public first and then they will eventually begrudgingly rule themselves out of it)

 

[Dymak]

I think the ESL will continue to be a fantasy that never happens. But I love the idea of smaller clubs creating an alternative to the ESL that proves to be more popular and exciting than the actual ESL.

I’d like to see the members of the ‘gold’ league do their own breakaway, so that they become their own rule makers with their own TV deals that don’t concern the elite clubs at all.

People will say that it would never be able to compete with the ESL, but I’m not sure that’s true, especially in the long run. The right teams playing each other at the right times could attract lucrative TV deals imo.

 

[matty1878]

i hope they all leg it

 

[Wizard]

The Star League, the Gold League, and the Blue League. Fantastic. They must have quite the marketing minds over there at A22.

They are terrible names but I had to have it pointed out to me it’s based on the European flag. Still awful but makes a bit more sense than what seemed like they’d done a focus group in a nursery

 

[Brownie]

They are terrible names but I had to have it pointed out to me it’s based on the European flag. Still awful but makes a bit more sense than what seemed like they’d done a focus group in a nursery

Ah, fair enough. "How about we base them on the European flag? That gets us, what, stars? Gold? Blue! It works!"

 

[9LeagueTitles5FACups]

 

[Drico]

We already have it with the Champions League, especially with the forthcoming changes that make it a league competition followed by a knockout competition, making it near identical to this latest ESL proposal.

This ESL is not about facilitating competition between European Clubs, it’s about certain clubs wanting to circumvent UEFA so that they can become the rule makers and the revenue distributors.

I think it’s really arrogant of the elite clubs to think the rest of the football world is going to be on board with this. They are expecting the rest of the football world to agree to a set of rules that sets them up for life and leaves everyone else fighting for crumbs.

The rest of the footballing world isn’t going to agree to that.

No, I'm talking about a European League of, say, 36 matches. A full European "domestic" league. I don't think it's going to happen in the next decade, but that is the direction of travel as the EU single market dictates as much (because right now great clubs like Ajax or Benfica are essentially hemmed in by national borders in terms of TV despite being in a single market). The idea that Burnley should be able to make more money than those clubs simply because of geographical accident makes no sense. A pan-European league is a most meritocratic solution. What it lacks, however, is the local derby value and local rivalries of domestic leagues. In that sense, I'm not in favour. What we need, therefore, is a governing body that can keep all stakeholders onside if we want to preserve domestic national leagues (which would be the preferable state).

In the end, this may be a ruse to glean even more concessions from UEFA. If Perez at Real Madrid and the other charlatans who want permanent membership of the Big Cup get that, they'll be happy enough to remain under UEFA auspices. I can see that being the outcome of this (with added Saudi input providing even more money).

Either way, the whole thing has become a business - and a very dirty one at that.

 

[ChesterBlue]

Gonna be a real “super” league with about 3 teams in it lol

 

[Rita_Poon]

Gonna be a real “super” league with about 3 teams in it lol

Someone hoax up a St Helens rugby league tweet about joining and showing em what tough competition really is...

 

[DanB90]

What’s to stop someone coming along and creating the Ultra Mega Daddy League to rival the Super Legue?

What happens then?

 

[jonnyboy316]

Shows how far we gave fallen that we probably would not even be considered for the blue league

 

[canuckblue]

The easier solution would be to create a 20-team ESL as the top of the pyramid, those teams in it would have to leave their domestic leagues, only returning through relegation (and being replaced by those leagues' champions). Kopites would have to get used to following a perpetually mid-table side.

 

[Lob]

The Premier League's response was we reject a super league and will deduct another 10 points from Everton for inconvenience.

 

[CrustySack]

This is my humble opinion on the whole thing.

If the scab 6 eventually sign up for the ESL and make themselves open to exploitation then so be it. I'm sure those 6 clubs will make a mint for their greedy owners.

It's the proper fans of those clubs though that I feel sorry for if it does happen. Eventually those clubs will just turn into a travelling circus act in a soulesss league. Games will eventually be played here, there and everywhere with fixtures being played in the main at neutral venues across the globe. The odd game will be played at their traditional stadiums, but it will slowly dilute their true identity and detach themselves from their roots.

No doubt those fans are going to push back against their respective clubs joining the ESL and it will get nasty, especially with our red brethren, but will they truly be able to stop it? I'm not so sure. The RS will eventually relent because they wont want to miss out. The government are not going to stop it as some would assume.

I can see the newly revised domestic and European competitions initially taking a hit financially. Players salaries and signing fees will need to be reduced accordingly, especially in the EPL. Star players will be tempted by money to sign for ESL teams similar to what we are already seeing with the Saudi Pro League and LIV golf, and clubs who produce these star players will potentially benefit financially with lucrative transfer fees.

The domestic and European competitions will still be exciting and popular. I just hope that Everton never have anything to do with the ESL.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

Have the RS said anything yet? All I saw was that they weren’t planning to make any statement (likely waiting to see how it goes down in public first and then they will eventually begrudgingly rule themselves out of it)

Conspicuously silent so far.